VIJAYAWADA, India, CMC – West Indies Women remained true to form when they clinched their three-match Twenty20 International series against India with an uncomplicated 31-run victory in the second game here yesterday.
Defending 137 for five at the Mulapadu Cricket Stadium, the Caribbean side knocked over the hosts for 106 off 18.1 overs, to win their second game in three days and make up for the pain of their 3-0 whitewash in the preceding one-day series.
Sent in, West Indies Women were again propelled by captain Stafanie Taylor who top-scored with 47 while veteran Deandra Dottin stroked 35 and teenaged opener Hayley Matthews, 27.
Seamer Shikha Pandey was the best bowler with two for 29.
Matthews gave the innings impetus in a brisk 28-ball knock which included five fours but she and Britney Cooper (5) fell in the space of nine deliveries to leave the visitors on 41 for two in the eighth over.
Taylor then expertly anchored two key partnerships to ensure West Indies built a competitive total. First, she put on 48 for the third wicket with Dottin, who dominated with a 21-ball cameo which included five boundaries.
Secondly, she added a further 48 for the fourth wicket with former captain Merissa Aguilleira whose 21 came from 17 balls and included two fours.
All told, Taylor faced 46 deliveries and counted four fours.
India Women then found themselves in early trouble when they lost Smriti Mandhana cheaply for four off the fourth ball of the innings with the score on five and several attempts to revive the innings failed.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored with a brisk 43 off 37 balls with a four and three sixes while Deepti Sharma chipped in with 24 from 21 balls, but the hosts struggled to put partnerships together.
Deepti Sharma added 24 for the second wicket with Meghna Singh (17) and another 22 for the fourth with Kaur for the best stands of the innings.
When Deepti Sharma was caught and bowled by off-spinner Anisa Mohammed in the 11th over, India Women were struggling on 59 for four, and Mohammed and Dottin combined to trigger a collapse which saw the last six wickets go down for 47 runs.
Mohammed finished with three for 23 and seamer Dottin picked up three for 24 – including Kaur who was last out.
The final game of the series is carded for tomorrow.
