England Women celebrate victory against West Indies Women to clinch their five-match ODI series 3-2 at Sabina Park yesterday.
England Women overcame their West Indies counterparts by five wickets at Sabina Park yesterday to clinch a 3-2 victory in the topsy-turvy five-match One-Day International series in Jamaica.
West Indies Women batted first and were only able to muster 155 all out in murky and overcast conditions in the morning. Captain Stafanie Taylor was again the anchor of the home side’s innings with a patient knock of 57 — her third half-century of the tour.
England’s slow left-arm orthodox bowler Alex Hartley, who was joint player of the series with Taylor, stifled the West Indies with a haul of 4-24.
In their reply, England, who collapsed from good positions while chasing in their two losses this series, were calm and assured in compiling 158-5 with more than 11 overs to spare. Middle-order Natalie Sciver carried England home with a fluent 58 not out.
West Indies off-spinner Afy Fletcher took 2-28, but as a unit the hosts were not able to contain England’s batters on a decent batting wicket.
Victory for England meant no side won back-to-back games in the series.
Scores: West Indies 155 (47.1 overs); England 158-5 (38.5 overs).
With the final three games of the series offering vital points towards qualification for next year’s ICC Women’s ODI Championship to be staged by the England and Wales Cricket Board, the visitors earned four points from two wins.
West Indies, who won game four in dramatic fashion at Sabina Park on Sunday, claimed two points. The teams had shared the opening two games hosted at Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium over a week ago.
Australia, top of the championship table on 30 points, are already qualified to the Women’s tournament. England are second with 23 points, while West Indies are a point behind in third. Fourth-placed New Zealand have 20 points. The top four teams gain automatic places to the 2017 women’s showpiece.
Going into yesterday’s encounter, all matches had been won by the side batting first. So it was no surprise when the West Indies, like their opponents have done throughout the series, chose to take first strike after winning the toss.
But there was an early breakthrough for England. Opener Shaquana Quintyne (one), who played a couple of important knocks in previous games, top-edged a pull from pacer Katherine Brunt for wicketkeeper Amy Jones to run backwards and catch smartly.
Quintyne’s opening partner Hayley Matthews (22), who played a couple of lofted drives for four, attempted another, but got her timing wrong and could only offer a catch to mid-on fielder Hartley at 29-2.
As it has been on a few occasions throughout the series, a lot rested on the third-wicket partnership between Taylor and Dottin. And once again the two were separated before the partnership could really flourish.
Dottin (15) was the one to go, essaying a swipe across the line against Hartley, but she could only mistime a catch to Sciver at short midwicket at 66-3.
Despite Taylor’s resistance, England kept pegging away and knocked over wickets at the other end at regular intervals.
The talismanic Taylor reached her 26th career ODI half-century with a straight six over long off off England Captain Heather Knight. But not long after she launched down the wicket and missed a hoick against Hartley and was stumped by Jones 137-7.
West Indies were eventually bowled out for 155 in the 48th over.
In reply, England lost openers Lauren Winfield (12) and Tammy Beaumont (34) fairly early, but they never appeared flustered.
Winfield, who added 95 runs with Beaumont on Sunday, was sent back to the pavilion when she chipped a catch to short midwicket fielder Stacy-Ann King off the bowling of Matthews.
Beaumont was her usual busy self in passing 30, but was beaten in flight by a looping delivery from Fletcher and flipped a return catch to the bowler at 56-2 inside the 17th over.
However, Sciver, who hit six fours off 74 deliveries, maintained her composure despite wickets falling at the other end, and brought England a deserved win with loads of time to spare.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES WOMEN
H Matthews c Hartley b Elwiss 22
S Quintyne c wkp Jones b Brunt 1
*S Taylor st Jones b Hartley 57
D Dottin c Sciver b Hartley 15
+M Aguilleira c Sciver b Hartley 6
B Cooper c Winfield b Brunt 23
S Campbelle c Marsh b Hartley 4
S King st Jones b Brunt 12
A Fletcher lbw b Knight 2
A Mohammed c Brunt b Knight 2
S Connell not out 4
Extras (lb4, w3) 7
TOTAL (all out, 47.1 overs) 155
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Quintyne, 2.4 overs), 2-29 (Matthews, 11.1), 3-66 (Dottin, 22.1), 4-76 (Aguilleira, 26.3), 5-114 (Cooper, 37), 6-131 (Campbelle, 40.3), 7-137 (Taylor, 42.3), 8-148 (King, 44.5), 9-148 (Fletcher, 45.1), 10-155 (Mohammed, 47.1)
Bowling: Brunt 9-1-35-3 (w1), Sciver 4-0-11-0, Gunn 5-1-18-0 (w1), Elwiss 3-1-11-1, Marsh 10-0-29-0, Hartley 10-1-24-4 (w1), Knight 6.1-0-23-2
ENGLAND WOMEN
L Winfield c King b Matthews 12
T Beaumont c & b Fletcher 34
*H Knight c wkp Aguilleira b Fletcher 29
N Sciver not out 58
D Wyatt c Cooper b Mohammed 12
G Elwiss b Dottin 5
+A Jones not out 4
Extras (w4) 4
TOTAL (5 wkts, 38.5 overs) 158
Did not bat: K Brunt, J Gunn, L Marsh, A Hartley
Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Winfield, 8 overs), 2-56 (Beaumont, 16.1), 3-112
(Knight, 28.1), 4-133 (Wyatt, 33.5), 5-151 (Elwiss, 38)
Bowling: Connell 3-0-15-0, Matthews 8-0-33-1, Dottin 4-0-23-1 (w3),
Fletcher 10-2-28-2, Mohammed 6.5-0-32-1, Taylor 5-0-22-0, Quintyne 2-0-5-0
Result: England Women won by five wickets
Series: England won five-match series 3-2
Points: England Women 2, West Indies Women 0
Player-of-the-match: Alex Hartley
Umpires: G Brathwaite, N Duguid