MUMBAI, India, CMC – Crippled by their chronic weak batting, West Indies failed in their bid to win the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time when they went down to five-time champions Australia by 114 runs in yesterday’s final at Brabourne Stadium.
Chasing a challenging 260 for victory, the Windies’ batting collapsed yet again as they tumbled to a disappointing 145 all out off 43.1 overs, to end their fairytale run in the tournament.
Captain Merissa Aguilleira top scored with 23 and the aggressive Deandra Dottin chipped in with 22, but the batting was once again failed to shine when it was most needed.
West Indies were undone by an outstanding spell from seamer Ellyse Perry who finished with three for 19 from her ten overs, while off-spinners Lisa Sthalekar (2-20) and Erin Osborne (2-26) along with pacer Megan Schutt (2-38) all weighed in with two wickets apiece.
Earlier, Jess Cameron stroked 75 from 76 balls and opener Rachael Haynes, 52, as the Aussies piled up 259 for seven from their allotted 50 overs, after they opted to bat first.
Teenaged leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne was the leading bowler with three for 31 fro her ten overs.
The heavy favourites were away to a solid start with Haynes and Meg Lanning, who scored 31, posting 52 off 60 balls for the first wicket.
Haynes, an attractive left-hander, faced 74 balls and struck six fours while Lanning spent 41 balls at the crease for a similar boundary count.
Once Lanning holed out to mid-off attempting to clear the infield with Taylor, Cameron took centre stage, anchoring two partnerships as Australia dominated the middle overs. She put on 64 for the second wicket with Haynes and when Alex Blackwell fell cheaply for three, added a further 55 for the fourth wicket with Lisa Sthalekar (12).
Cameron, a right-hander, struck eight fours and two sixes in a fine innings which was ended when she suffered an error in judgement and smashed a full toss from left-arm spinner down the throat of Kycia Knight on the mid-wicket boundary at 181 for four in the 36th over.
West Indies then reined in Australia’s scoring as four wickets fell for 28 runs until captain Jodie Fields, who finished on 36 not out off 38 balls, and Perry who stroked an unbeaten 25 from 22 balls, broke the shackles in a unbroken 50-run, eighth wicket partnership off 40 deliveries.
The Caribbean side started their run chase solidly but slowly as Kycia Knight (17) and Natasha McLean (13) consumed 60 balls in raising 32 for the first wicket.
Perry broke the stand when she trapped the left-handed Knight lbw with one that nipped back, sparking a slide that saw the Windies lose their next two wickets for the addition of just nine runs.
The right-armer had the prolific Stafanie Taylor caught and bowled for five in her next over and also sent back McLean, lbw playing across a full length delivery, another over later.
Aguilleira and Kyshona Knight (21) were attempting a repair job when the latter hobbled off with an injury on five at 57 for three in the 22nd over. But Dottin joined Aguilleira to stretch the fourth wicket stand to 47, with both batsmen playing positively.
Aguilleira hammered two fours and a massive six over deep mid-wicket off 36 deliveries while Dottin was her usual cavalier self, blasting a pair of sixes off seamer Sarah Coyte along with a four, in her 28-ball knock.
Sthalekar bowled both to leave West Indies needing a miracle at 109 for five but hope evaporated quickly as the last five wickets perished for 36 runs.
