Litchfield, Wareham power Australia to big win as Taylor century goes in vain

Match Overview

West Indies Women and Australia Women locked horns in the first ODI at Warner Park in St Kitts on Friday, March 27. Australian skipper Sophie Molineux won the toss and elected to bat first.

The Australian openers - Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll - provided a great start, scoring 70 runs in the 10-over powerplay. However, three balls later Afy Fletcher provided a much-needed breakthrough to dismiss Voll for 42(32). Ellyse Perry joined Litchfield who was already going well and the duo continued on their merry ways. The southpaw reached her 10th fifty in as many balls as the partnership started to become highly threatening for the West Indies. But Karishma Ramharack put the brakes on it by sending back Perry for a well-made 44(46) in the 24th over with the scoreboard reading 166/2.

West Indies made a mini-comeback of sorts as they dismissed Litchfield (77 off 72) and Ashleigh Gardner (12 off 17) in the next six overs, pegging back the scoring rate in the process. But Nicola Carey (49 off 39) and Georgia Wareham (42 off 21) had other plans as the left-right pair added 91 runs for the fifth wicket. The stand provided a major impetus to the innings as Australia finished at an imposing 341.

Kim Garth struck in her second over to dismiss Qiana Joseph early on which brought the veterans Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews together. The duo put on 40 runs for the second wicket but the run rate was much lower than required. Garth sent the West Indies skipper back to the pavilion with 58 runs on the board in the 12th over as the home team needed to up the ante sooner rather than later.

Taylor and Chinelle Henry were the only batters who could contribute substantially later on. The duo put on 73 runs for the fourth wicket and once again the run rate was the issue. The chase was going beyond the Women in Maroon with every over and the home team wandered towards the 50-over mark. Taylor, notably, held one end up and scored her eighth ODI hundred before leading the team to 238/8 in their full quota of overs. Australia completed a comfortable victory by 103 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series.

Top run-scorer of the match

Top wicket-taker of the match

Player of the Match

Georgia Wareham

Wareham's all-round efforts helped Australia to a huge win. The right-hander put on a quickfire 42 in the first innings which shot the visitors past the 300-run mark easily. When the leg spinner came on to bowl she picked up an important wicket of Henry to break the 73-run stand and finished with figures of 10-0-39-1.

Turning Point

The 91-run fifth-wicket partnership between Wareham and Carey took the game away from the home team. The score read 186/4 in the 31st over when the duo came together and a wicket or two in the next few overs could have dented Australia chances to score more than 300. But, the pair ensured they not only achieved that but put the game beyond the home team as well.