Windies Women cop timid whitewash

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

Windies Women’s bid to avoid their second straight whitewash in Twenty20s (T20) failed here Wednesday night when they went down by 61 runs in the final match of the five-match series against India.

In yet another timid performance at the Guyana National Stadium, the hosts never once threatened the target of 135 and were held to 73 for seven off their 20 overs, to suffer yet another chastening clean sweep.

Last September, they were thrashed 3-0 by Australia Women in a lopsided series in Barbados.

Choosing to bat first, India Women got unbeaten half-centuries from Veda Krishnamurthy (57 not out) and Jemimah Rodrigues (50) to get up to 134 for three off their 20 overs.

They lost Player of the Series Shafali Verma in the third over for nine, driving a low return catch to off-spinner Hayley Matthews, and opening partner Smriti Mandhana followed in the next over for seven, lifting off-spinner Anisa Mohammed to Matthews at long off.

Stumbling on 17 for two, India were rescued by Krishnamurthy and Rodrigues, who put on 117 for the third wicket.

The experienced Krishnamurthy struck four fours in a 48-ball knock, while 19-year-old Rodrigues faced 56 deliveries and stroked three fours before perishing to the penultimate ball of the innings, bowled by speedster Aaliyah Alleyne in making room to play through the onside.

RUN CHASE

In reply, the Windies run chase never took flight and wickets tumbled regularly. Natasha McLean (nine) belted a six but then holed out on the midwicket boundary off off-spinner Anuja Patil (2-3) in the fourth over, and two balls later in the same over, Chedean Nation missed a sweep and was lbw to the first ball she faced.

Chinelle Henry (six) and Matthews (two) also fell cheaply as the Windies crawled to 31 for four in the 11th over, all but ending the game as a contest.

Opener Kyshona Knight resisted, however, top-scoring with 22 from 39 balls in a 22-run, fifth-wicket stand with Shemaine Campbelle (19 not out).

By the time the left-handed Knight frustratedly smashed a wide ball from off-spinner Harleen Deol and was taken at cover at the end of the 14th over, all interest had evaporated from the game.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA WOMEN

S Verma c & b Matthews 9

*S Mandhana c Nation b Mohammed 7

J Rodrigues b Alleyne 50

V Krishnamurthy not out 57

P Vastrakar not out 0

Extras (lb1, w9, nb1) 11

TOTAL (3 wkts, 20 overs) 134

Did not bat: +T Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, H Deol, M Joshi, Anuja Patil, Radha Yadav.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-17, 3-134.

Bowling: Matthews 4-0-23-1, Mohammed 4-0-26-1, Fletcher 4-0-21-0, Alleyne 4-0-23-1, Henry 1-0-12-0, Grimmond 1-0-12-0, Gajnabi 2-0-16-0.

WEST INDIES WOMEN

N McLlean c Deol b Anuja Patil 9

K Knight c Vastrakar b Deol 22

C Nation lbw b Anuja Patil 0

C Henry c wkp Bhatia b Poonam Yadav 6

H Matthews b Vastrakar 2

+S Campbelle not out 19

S Grimmond st Bhatia b Radha Yadav 5

S Gajnabi run out 3

A Alleyne not out 1

Extras (lb3, w2, nb1) 6

TOTAL (7 wkts, 20 overs) 73

Did not bat: *A Mohammed, A Fletcher.

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-13, 3-28, 4-31, 5-53, 6-63, 7-69.

Bowling: Joshi 4-0-15-1, Anuja Patil 3-1-3-2, Radha Yadav 4-0-10-1, Poonam Yadav 3-0-15-1, Vastrakar 3-0-14-1, Deol 3-0-13-1.

Result: India Women won by 61 runs.

Series: India Women won five-match series 5-0.

Player of the Match: Veda Krishnamurthy.

Player of the Series: Shafali Verma.

Toss: India Women.

Umpires: P Gustard, J Williams.