West Indies women’s cricketers botched an impressive run chase and succumbed to a 53-run defeat against Australia in the second One-Day International of the ICC Women’s Championship yesterday.
An enterprising century stand for the first wicket offered promise but the Windies’ efforts to surpass Australia’s 256 petered out into a procession of batters and halted at 203 for the loss of eight wickets at Hurstville Oval.
Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight kept West Indies in the hunt with an opening stand of 115 but then the Caribbean girls were pegged back by a middle-order collapse.
Matthews led with a swashbuckling knock of 89 in 108 balls counting 12 boundaries while Knight scored 45 picking up four fours and a six along the way.
There were contributions of 25 and 23 from Britney Cooper and Shemaine Campbelle respectively but no one else got into double figures except for the ten extras.
Matthews and Knight could not find support from the other end and the wickets fell as the West Indies scoring slowed down, tumbling from 115 for one to 185 for seven.
Earlier, Ellyse Perry starred with bat and ball scoring her fourth ODI 50 and picking up three wickets for Australia who won the toss and elected to bat.
Australia were off to a strong start from Nicole Bolton, who top-scored with 76, and Elyse Villani with a contribution of 30- both compiling 65 for the first wicket.
Bolton and Perry , who scored 72, followed up with a 69-run stand for the third wicket before Perry added another 55 for the fourth wicket with Alex Blackwell to take Australia well past 200.
West Indies grabbed wickets towards the end of the innings to restrict Australia to 256 – Deandra Dottin emerging the top bowler with three for 42 while Matthews grabbed three for 42.
Australia have now taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match ODI series.