Windies batting falls short in 43-run defeat to Australia in 1st Women’s T20I

Mooney and Perry’s 99-run stand the difference between the sides 

Australia 164 for 6 (Mooney 79, Perry 36; Dottin 3-35) beat West Indies 121 for 6 (Joseph 45, Taylor 28; King 3-14) by 43 runs

The West Indies went down to Australia by 43 runs in the first Women’s T20 International at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday evening. Despite an encouraging bowling performance, the hosts failed to capitalize on an uncharacteristically untidy fielding display from the Aussies to go one-nil down in the three-match series.

Needing 165 for victory, the West Indies scored 15 runs from the first four overs of the chase. Captain Hayley Matthews needed eight balls to get off the mark before she was cleaned up by Alana King in the 7th over for a 17-ball 11. Up until the 12th, they’d only lost the one wicket. Qiana Joseph crunched seven 4s and a six in her 39-ball innings of 45. Australia had put down as many as six catches.

In a tale as old as time, however, the Caribbean side had chewed up 34 dots in the first 66 balls of the innings. When Gardner finally held on to one to dismiss Joseph off the bowling of Kim Garth, the West Indies needed 89 runs from 59 balls at 76 for 2.

Australia essentially sealed victory in the 13th as King delivered a double-wicket maiden, removing Shemaine Campbelle (15 from 15) and Dottin for a duck on either side of a short rain break, leaving the West Indies grasping at 76 for 4. The wrist-spinner finished with figures of 3 for 14.

Windies were eventually restricted to 121 for 6 in their allotment.

Having earlier elected to bat, Australia lost the wickets of Georgia Voll, dismissed by Deandra Dottin for eight, and Phoebe Litchfield, who fell victim to Jahzara Claxton for six, to be restricted to 34 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. It took the experience of Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney to get the visiting side’s innings back on track. 

The pair put on 99 in 67 balls for the third wicket. The partnership began sluggishly as Australia managed just 57 runs from the first 10 overs. After scoring at a run-a-ball for the first 29 deliveries of her innings, player of the match Beth Mooney set about accelerating immediately after the drinks break, taking two boundaries off Claxton’s 11th. 

Perry, who was batting on 10 from 16, followed suit in the 12th, taking Karishma Ramharack for a four and a maximum. Mooney brought up a 42-ball fifty in the 15th, as they smashed 71 runs between the 11th and 16th overs to push Australia to 128 for 2. 

Dottin (3 for 35), who accounted for Perry (36 from 32) in the 17th and Chinelle Henry (2 for 28), who removed both Mooney (79 from 55) and Ashleigh Gardner for one, returned to stem the flow at the death, conceding 36 runs from the final four overs as Australia finished on 164 for 6.