Australia’s dominance in the T20I series continued as they secured a hard-fought 17-run victory over West Indies women’s cricket team in Kingstown, sealing a 2-0 series win with another composed all-round performance.
Posting 164 for 5, Australia relied on impactful knocks from Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry before disciplined bowling efforts ensured they defended the total against a spirited chase led by Hayley Matthews. Voll set the tone early with a rapid 39 off 23 balls, attacking the West Indies bowlers with intent during the powerplay.
Voll’s aggressive strokeplay, which included multiple boundaries and a six, propelled Australia to a strong start. However, her innings also had consequences as a powerful drive led to an injury for Chinelle Henry, who was forced off the field after hurting her left hand.
After Voll’s dismissal, Australia’s momentum slowed. Phoebe Litchfield and Perry stitched together a steady 58-run partnership, with Perry anchoring the innings through a fluent 42 off 28 balls. Despite their efforts, Australia managed only 39 runs in the final five overs as Afy Fletcher and the rest of the bowling unit pulled things back effectively.
In response, West Indies endured a sluggish start. Matthews struggled initially, scoring just 1 run off her first 12 deliveries as Kim Garth delivered a tight opening spell that included a maiden over. The pressure mounted further with an early run-out of Qiana Joseph. Matthews eventually shifted gears, launching a counterattack once the fielding restrictions eased.
Matthews’ 56 off 41 balls, laced with boundaries and sixes, briefly swung momentum back in West Indies’ favour, reducing the target to 75 runs from 48 balls with nine wickets in hand. However, Australia regained control through Alana King, whose spell proved decisive. After being targeted earlier, King bounced back strongly, dismissing Matthews and Stafanie Taylor to finish with figures of 2 for 25, effectively ending the chase.
Garth’s economical spell of 0 for 20 also played a crucial role, even though she went wicketless. A dropped catch denied her a deserved breakthrough as Deandra Dottin remained unbeaten on 39, helping narrow the margin of defeat.
The victory also marked a milestone for Sophie Molineux, who secured her first series win as captain despite not contributing with bat or ball due to a back injury. Australia were also without Ashleigh Gardner, who missed the match due to hamstring tightness.
Australia’s strong start with the bat and disciplined bowling effort proved enough to overcome a late surge from West Indies, underlining their depth and consistency in the format.
