Beth Mooney’s masterful half century and Alana King’s bowling heroics helped Australia Women register a convincing 43-run victory over West Indies Women in the opening T20I here on Thursday.
Mooney overcame a slow start to bludgeon 79 off 55 balls and was the main reason the visitors got up to a competitive total of 164 for six in 20 overs after choosing to bat first at the Arnos Gale ground.
The Windies got off to a decent start and were well placed at 76 for one at one stage, until King struck twice in the space of five balls to derail their chase and see them limp to 121 for six at the end of their 20 overs.
The win gave the Aussies – the top ranked T20I women’s side in the world – a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with the second match set to be played on Saturday at the same venue.
Surprisingly, it was the home side who held the upper hand early in the contest, with their disciplined bowling attack bogging down Australia.
Deandra Dottin produced an unplayable inswinger that Georgia Voll could only edge behind to wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle with 19 runs on the board.
Soon after, pacer Jahzara Claxton got Phoebe Litchfield to sky her attempted pull shot to give Jannillea Glasgow an easy catch at mid on, to see the visitors slump to 34 for two in the sixth over.
Tight bowling by pacer Chinelle Henry along with spinners Hayley Matthews, Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack, then made life difficult for the Aussies, who struggled up to 57 for two at the halfway stage.
But Mooney, who had scored a run-a-ball 29 up to that stage, transformed the complexion of the match with partner Ellyse Perry during a 99-run partnership in 11 overs for the third wicket.
Mooney hit Claxton for two boundaries in the 11th over and Perry joined in on the action by smashing Ramharack for a four and six off consecutive deliveries in the next over.
Mooney, who was adjudged Player-of-the-Match, eventually brought up her half century off 42 balls by sweeping Fletcher to deep midwicket for a boundary.
Dottin returned to break the stand by having Perry caught at long on by a diving Henry for 36 off 32 balls, to leave the score 133 for three in the 17th over.
Henry then had Mooney caught at mid off in the next over after striking seven fours and two sixes, but the visitors did well to get up to their eventual total.
Dottin led the Windies’ bowlers with 3-35 from her four overs, while Henry claimed 2-28.
West Indies Women got off to a decent start thanks to some below par fielding by Australia, progressing to 33 without loss after six overs, with skipper Matthews being dropped twice in the space of four balls in the fifth over.
Those missed chances didn’t prove too costly, as King bowled Matthews for 11 after she failed to execute a slog sweep.
Opener Qiana Joseph and veteran Shemaine Campbelle, playing in her 150th T20I, then put the Windies back in contention by adding 43 runs for the second wicket.
But once Kim Garth had Joseph caught at deep midwicket for the topscore of 45 off 39 balls, inclusive of seven fours and one six, the West Indies’ innings capitulated.
From a relatively comfortable position of 76 for two, King trapped Campbelle lbw for 15 and bowled Dottin for a four-ball duck without a run being added to see them slip to 76 for four at the end of the 13th over.
It was a position they would not recover from, despite Stafanie Taylor’s fighting 28 off 25 balls, as the run rate climbed to an astronomical 16.20 runs by the end of the 15th over.
For Australia King finished with 3-14 from four impressive overs and Georgia Wareham took 2-14. (CMC)
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