NORTHAMPTON, England, CMC – West Indies Women paid dearly for a dismal fielding effort as England Women piled up their highest-ever Twenty20 score against their Caribbean counterparts to thrash them by 42 runs here yesterday.
Playing in the second T20 International at Wantage Road after Tuesday’s opener was abandoned without a ball bowl due to rain, England finished on 180 for six off their 20 overs – their joint sixth highest total in the shortest format.
Danielle Wyatt starred with 81 off 55 deliveries while opening partner Amy Jones stroked 37 and Natalie Sciver, 31.
In reply, Stacey-Ann King extended her decent form with 43 off 34 balls while Chedean Nation struck 32 off 20 deliveries but West Indies failed to build partnerships and declined to 138 for nine off their 20 overs.
Katherine Brunt (2-22) and left-arm slow bowler Linsey Smith (2-22) captured two wickets apiece to keep the Windies in check.
Asked to bowl first, it was the Windies fielding display which set the tone for the encounter, with as many as three chances going abegging and a plethora of errors in the ground fielding accounting for ill-afforded extra runs for England.
Wyatt was dropped twice – on 14 by wicketkeeper Kycia Knight off fast bowler Shamilia Connell in the fifth over and then on 17 by Chinelle Henry at extra cover in the next over from off-spinner Stafanie Taylor.
The right-hander capitalised, striking 10 fours and posting 67 for the first wicket with Jones and 56 for the third wicket with Sciver.
She was also involved in a threatening 41-run, fourth wicket stand with captain Heather Knight (22) before finally perishing in the 19th over, caught at backward point by Matthews off Connell.
West Indies then suffered a terrible start, losing both openers cheaply with 19 runs on the board in the second over.
Matthews fell to the fifth ball of the innings, taken at short third man off Smith for two while Britney Cooper was hit in front by seamer Anya Shrubsole in the next over without scoring.
King arrived to counter-attack, lashing three fours in the second over off Shrubsole, counting seven overall as she put on 39 with captain Taylor (19) for the third wicket and a further 38 with Nation for the fourth.
King and Nation were hitting top gear when they both perished in the 13th over. First, King holed out to deep square off Smith and Nation followed off the last ball of the over, run out at the non-striker’s end in a mix-up with Natasha McLean (9).
Their dismissals triggered the slide which saw six wickets tumble for 36 runs.
The final match of the series is scheduled for Tuesday at Derby.
