ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Afy Fletcher’s career-best five-wicket haul was enough to help West Indies Women to a comfortable 47-run win in the second Twenty20 International here Saturday night, and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The 30-year-old leg-spinner grabbed five for 13 as Sri Lanka Women, set a difficult 155 for victory at Coolidge Cricket Ground, were bundled out for 107 in the final over, to remain winless on tour.
Off-spinner Hayley Matthews claimed two for 25 with only Chamari Atapattu, who top-scored with 30 and opener Yasoda Mendis, 22, showing any resistance.
Opting to bat first, the World champions rallied to 154 for six off their 20 overs, behind captain Stafanie Taylor’s 49 and Deandra Dottin’s 27.
Kycia Knight chipped in with an unbeaten 23 while Britney Cooper also got 23.
Left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera extended her decent form, claiming her third straight brace with two for 27.
Windies Women started poorly when they lost Matthews without scoring to the third ball of the game without a run on the board but Taylor anchored two successive productive stands to repair the innings.
Firstly, she put on 45 for the second wicket with Dottin who stroked four fours in a 19-ball cameo before adding a further 49 for the third wicket with Kycia Knight who proved more patient in a 29-ball innings.
Taylor had struck four fours and a six off 41 balls when she was third out and former skipper Merissa Aguilleira followed seven balls later for five, leaving the hosts 105 for four in the 15th over.
However, Cooper arrived to lash four fours off 17 balls in adding 30 with Kycia Knight for the fifth wicket, to reinvgorate the innings.
Sri Lanka Women made a bright start to their run chase with Mendis and Nipuni Hansika (6) putting on 33 from 26 deliveries to threaten briefly.
They fell in successive overs to leave the score on 42 for two in the sixth over and when Dilani Manodara (11) became the second of three run out casualties of the innings at 60 for three in the eighth over, Sri Lanka were tottering.
Atapattu combined with wicketkeeper Rebeca Vandort (14) to post 25 for the fourth wicket but once the partnership was broken, the last six wickets crashed for 16 runs as Fletcher scythed through the lower order.
The final game is set for yesterday at the same venue.
