WI-W vs AUS-W, 2nd ODI: Mooney, Wareham, Gardner give Australia 2-0 lead

Match Overview

Australia secured a commanding 90-run win in the second ODI against West Indies in St Kitts to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

After electing to bat first, a consolidated batting performance guided Australia to 269 for 7 before Spinners Georgia Wareham (3 for 29), Ashleigh Gardner (3 for 34) and Alana King (1 for 45) scalped seven wickets between them to dismiss West Indies for 179 in 46 overs.

Australia made a positive start with openers Georgia Voll (23 off 240 and Phoebe Litchfield (46 off 47) adding 64. West Indies returned to the game thanks to off-spinner Ashmini Munisar, who removed Voll and Ellyse Perry (golden duck) off consecutive deliveries in the 11th over.

Australia lost their way after the twin strikes, with Hayley Matthews making her presence felt with the wickets of Litchfield and Ashleigh Gardner in quick succession, reducing Australia to 82 for 4.

Beth Mooney and stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath staged a recovery through their 58-run stand for the fifth wicket. Afy Fletched sent back McGrath for 24 off 37, but Australia’s lower-order made up for the middle-order meltdown, with Georgia Wareham (39 off 37), Nicola Carey (unbeaten 30 off 25) and Alana King (unbeaten 26 off 17) frustrating the hosts.

Mooney fought hard for runs, scoring 65 off 104 with just two fours and adding 70 off 71 for the sixth wicket with Wareham before becoming Matthews’ third wicket. Carey and King’s 55-run stand for the 10th wicket in just 37 balls swung the momentum in Australia’s favour, undoing West Indies’ good effort with the ball in the middle overs.

Matthews claimed three wickets for 40 runs in her full quota, while Munisar and Fletcher picked two apiece.

Chasing a challenging 270, West Indies made a sturdy start to their innings, as openers Qiana Joseph (29 off 40) and Matthews (45 off 73) added 57 for the first wicket before Gardner grabbed Joseph’s return catch to break the alliance.

Matthews found some support in Stafanie Taylor, who held one end up through her boundaryless 32-ball 18 but West Indies collapsed quite spectacularly once Hayley holed out to deep extra cover off McGrath, slipping from 94 for 1 to 95 for 4 in a space of one over as Wareham’s double-wicket over, in which she cleaned up Taylor and had Deandra Dottin edge one to slip, breaking the back of the chase.

The slide was briefly arrested by Chinelle Henry, who scored a run-a-ball 19, but the respite was ephemeral as West Indies endured another collapse, going from 121 for 5 to 130 for 9, with Gardner, King and Wareham ruling the roost. Henry top-edged a sweep off Gardner, while Shermaine Campbell was run out in the same over before Jahzara Claxton was pinned lbw by King.

When Wareham struck to dismiss Munisar lbw for a six-ball duck, West Indies were nine down, and the result was a foregone conclusion. But after being frustrated by Australia’s last-wicket partnership, West Indies paid in kind and delayed the inevitable through a corresponding 49-run stand between Fletcher (unbeaten 32 off 28) and Karishma Ramharack (14 off 45). McGrath eventually ended their resistance, having Ramharack hole out to Voll.

Top run-scorer of the match

Top wicket-taker of the match

Player of the match

Georgia Wareham

Australia all-rounder Georgia Wareham was at her prolific best in St Kitts. Not content with her 37-ball 39, including four fours, she claimed three wickets for just 29 runs in her full quota of overs, cleaning up Taylor for 18, having Deandra Dottin caught for a four-ball duck and pinning Munisar lbw for a six-ball duck.