BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – West Indies women wrapped up their Twenty20 International series against England yesterday, when they strolled to a comfortable five-wicket in the second game of the three match series at Warner Park.
Medium pacer Pamela Lavine grabbed four for 21 as England were bundled out for 99 off 19.4 overs and she returned to stroke a top score of 37 to pilot the Windies to 103 for five with five balls left, to complete a solid all-round display.
The victory followed up the hosts’ four-wicket triumph in the first match on Monday, and it also came on the heels of their 2-1 series win in the preceding One-Day International tour.
Forced to wait 2-1/2 hours after rain delayed the scheduled 10:30 am start, West Indies won the toss and quickly had England in trouble following their decision to bowl first.
Opener Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent fell cheaply for six with the score on 19 in the fifth over while Jenny Gunn was bowled by off-spinner Anisa Mohammed for eight with the score on 29 in the seventh over.
Captain and opener Charlotte Edwards halted the rut in a stand of 41 for the third wicket with Beth Morgan, as they defied the Windies bowlers in an enterprising 39-ball partnership.
Edwards stroked 41 from 44 balls with four fours while Morgan was the only other batsman to reach double figures, scoring 14 from 17 balls.
Lavine’s introduction tossed the England innings into decline as she took two of the next three wickets to fall including that of Edwards, as the score tumbled from 70 to three to 74 for five in the space of seven balls.
There was a brief 17-run respite for the sixth wicket as Katherine Brunt (9) and Holly Colvin (6) threatened a revival but another collapse saw England lose their last five wickets for eight runs within 14 deliveries.
Off-spinner Stafanie Taylor snared two for 13, after taking the last two scalps to fall.
Not for the first time in the series, Windies started shakily when Taylor was lbw without scoring to medium pacer Brunt (2-21) to the fifth ball of the innings with the score on one.
However, Lavine struck five fours off 40 balls and added 37 for the second wicket with Deandra Dottin who got a run-a-ball 15, to steer her side out of trouble.
Dottin and Jack (0) departed within a run of each other to leave the hosts perched on 39 for three at the end of the seventh over but two key partnerships saw West Indies to their target.
Firstly, Lavine and Stacey-Ann King, who continued her good form an unbeaten 22 from 34 balls, posted 27 for the fourth wicket before King and captain Merissa Aguilleira (18) added another 30 for the fifth wicket to see West Indies home.
The final T20I is carded for tomorrow at the same venue.
