Windies falter again as Australia close out Women’s T20I series with 17-run win 

A better Caribbean batting display was not enough to challenge the top-ranked Aussies

Australia 164 for 5 (Perry 42, Voll 39; Ramharack 1-21) beat West Indies 147 for 4 (Matthews 56, Dottin 39*; King 2-25) by 17 runs 

The West Indies turned in a much improved batting performance against Australia in the second Women’s T20 International at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday. The result, however, was the same: defeat. The 17-run margin handed the visitors a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Where the first encounter was highlighted by the familiar story of demise by dot-balls for the West Indies, Saturday’s second once more emphasized the divide between the two Windies teams, one with Hayley Matthews at the crease and the other without. 

While the skipper was equally slow out of the blocks, the sense that the chase of 165 was within reach remained while she was in the middle. Unlike Thursday's first game, however, Matthews managed to find her timing. After scoring the solitary run from her first 11 deliveries, the 28-year-old hit seven 4s and three maximums on her way to a 38-ball fifty. 

Matthews put on 77 runs (52 balls) with Stafanie Taylor for the second wicket, leaving the West Indies 90 for 2 and needing 75 from 47 for victory. Following her dismissal by Alana King (2-25) in the 13th over for a 41-ball 56, Windies scored just 15 runs in the next 23 balls to be left with a required rate of 15 entering the final 4 overs. 

Taylor, who was also outfoxed by King, faced 27 balls for her 22, while Shemaine Campbelle needed 9 deliveries for her 6. A late flurry of boundaries from Deandra Dottin, who finished unbeaten on 39 from 28, did not threaten the Aussies, who wrapped up another comfortable win by restricting the hosts to 147 for 4 in their allotment.

Australia had earlier constructed a far superior powerplay than they did in the first T20 International when they scored 34 and lost 2 wickets. Georgia Voll led the charge, hitting 39 from 23 balls to lift the visitors to 54 before falling to Karishma Ramharack (1-21) with the final delivery of the 6th. Afy Fletcher later bowled Beth Mooney for a 20-ball 17 to leave Australia 71 for 2 in the 9th. 

The 58-run (44 balls) partnership between Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield (35) that followed steadied the ship. Litchfield was removed by Matthews for 35, with Australia 129 for 3 in the 16th, while top-scorer Perry fell to Jahzara Claxton (1-24) for a 28-ball 42 in the 18th. Still, the West Indies managed to control the death overs for a second consecutive game, conceding just 32 runs in the final four overs to restrict Australia to 164 for 5.