Windies Women suffer series defeat

CMC – In Antigua, Rashada Williams’s second One-Day International half-century provided little solace for West Indies as they endured another heavy drubbing with a 142-run loss to England Women.

Asked to chase 261 under lights in the second ODI at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Tuesday night, the home side again folded meekly, capitulating for 118 he 32nd over, despite the 25-year-old Williams producing a defiant, unbeaten 54 from 80 deliveries.

The right-hander counted four fours and a six in also her second ODI at the venue but lacked support, no other batsman reaching double figures in yet another lacklustre batting effort.

Twenty-year-old Lauren Bell claimed four for 33 while her new-ball seam partner Kate Cross (2-35) and left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (2-25), provided support.

Only last Sunday, West Indies Women slumped to an identical 142-run defeat in the opening ODI when they mustered only 165 in pursuit of 308.

“I am very disappointed. I think in both games we haven’t batted,” said head coach Courtney Walsh.

“In the first game we didn’t bowl as well as we could’ve – we let a lot of chances slip at crucial points in the game. 

“[In the second ODI] I thought we were a lot better with the ball … and for the score that we had [to chase] I thought we would have made a better approach batting, but unfortunately we lost a couple of early wickets and never recovered.”

Player-of-the-match Amy Jones had earlier propped up the England Women innings with an unbeaten 70 from 63 deliveries while Sophia Dunkley struck 57 from 56 balls, ensuring the tourists rallied to 260 all out in the 49th over.

Emma Lamb (25) and Tammy Beaumont (21) put on 42 for the first wicket and when three wickets tumbled for 40 runs, Dunkley struck seven fours in adding 51 for the fourth wicket with captain Heather Knight (25).

Both fell within the space of 20 deliveries to leave England Women on 146 for five in the 28th over but Jones lashed eight fours as she held the lower order together.

West Indies Women then had a nightmare start, Bell and Cross combining to wipe out the top order and reduce the hosts to eight for four in the fourth over.

Captain Hayley Matthews (1) drove at a wide ball from Bell and edged to first slip at the start of the second over, left-hander Kycia Knight (0) edged behind off another wide delivery two balls later while Aaliyah Alleyne (2) played back and nicked a defensive stroke to the ’keeper  off Cross at the start of the next over.

When Shemaine Campbelle missed an in-swinging full length delivery from Bell and was lbw in the fourth over, West Indies Women were in danger of an embarrassing rout.

However, Williams strung together a series of small partnerships – posting 20 for the fifth wicket with Chedean Nation (17), 21 for the sixth with Shabika Gajnabi (0) and 35 for the seventh with Chinelle Henry (13) – to help West Indies Women past the 100-run mark.

About The Author