BOWRAL, Australia (CMC) — Teenaged opener Hayley Matthews carved out her third successive half-century, but it did little to prevent West Indies Women’s losing skid from continuing, as the Caribbean side plunged to an eight-wicket defeat in the third One-Day International here yesterday.
Defending 220 for seven, West Indies watched helplessly as Aussie captain Meg Lanning stroked her fifth one-day hundred to power the hosts to their target in the 44th over, to complete a comfortable victory at Bradman Oval.
The win ensured Australia Women swept the ICC Championship which comprises the first three matches of the four-match series, and also left West Indies Women without success on the tour. The tourists suffered a whitewash in the preceding four-match Twenty20 series.
Opting to bat first, West Indies were given another great start by Matthews and Kycia Knight, who put on 97 to follow up their century stand in the last game.
Sixteen-year-old Matthews was again fluent, stroking a top score of 60 from 81 balls, to follow up scores of 55 and 89 in the previous ODIs.
Knight got 40 off 58 balls with five fours before falling first, trapped lbw in the 20th over by Erin Osborne, and her dismissed triggered a collapse that saw five wickets fall for 59 runs.
Matthews, who counted seven fours in her knock, was part of the carnage along with the prolific pair of Deandra Dottin, who struck 25 from 45 balls, and Stafanie Taylor, who made just five.
Struggling at 156 for five in the 40th, Windies Women were lifted by a crucial sixth-wicket stand of 61 between Shaquana Quintyne, who finished 33 not out, and captain Merissa Aguilleira, who returned to form with 30.
Quintyne faced 35 balls and struck three fours while Aguilleira, without a double score in her last seven internationals, struck two fours and a six off 26 deliveries.
In reply, Australia slumped to 18 for two in the fifth over when off-spinner Taylor bowled Nicole Bolton for nine and seamer Dottin had Elyse Villani caught at the wicket for five.
But that was the last sight of success for the Windies as Lanning combined in an unbroken, third-wicket stand of 204 with Ellyse Perry, who hit an unbeaten 64, to take the game away.
Lanning finished on 135 off 127 balls with 17 fours, while Perry supported in a 110-ball knock that included four fours.
