Agency :
A Megan Schutt hat-trick, the first by an Australian woman in ODIs helped Australia to victory in the third and final women’s ODI against West Indies in Antigua on Wednesday. In the process, Australia have completed a 3-0 clean sweep in the series and taken their recent form to 15 matches undefeated, while also winning a fifth straight series.
Losing the toss and being put in to field first, Meg Lanning’s Australia made the most of the conditions and got off to the perfect start with Ellyse Perry striking after just four balls to dismiss Reniece Boyce. With the wicket, Perry became the second Australian woman to take 150 ODI wickets.
Kyshona Knight and Britney Cooper took their time in the middle, and brought up just 18 runs from the first ten overs. The breakthrough came in the 17th over from Georgia Wareham as Cooper was dismissed, and spin came to Australia’s rescue once again when Jess Jonassen bowled Knight for a 72-ball 40, just as the third wicket partnership between her and captain Stefanie Taylor began to frustrate Australia.
The rest of the West Indies innings was largely slow and laboured thanks to accurate bowling by the Australians. Captain Taylor too was dismissed for 23 runs off 50 deliveries, and West Indies kept losing regular wickets.
A Megan Schutt hat-trick, the first by an Australian woman in ODIs helped Australia to victory in the third and final women’s ODI against West Indies in Antigua on Wednesday. In the process, Australia have completed a 3-0 clean sweep in the series and taken their recent form to 15 matches undefeated, while also winning a fifth straight series.
Losing the toss and being put in to field first, Meg Lanning’s Australia made the most of the conditions and got off to the perfect start with Ellyse Perry striking after just four balls to dismiss Reniece Boyce. With the wicket, Perry became the second Australian woman to take 150 ODI wickets.
Kyshona Knight and Britney Cooper took their time in the middle, and brought up just 18 runs from the first ten overs. The breakthrough came in the 17th over from Georgia Wareham as Cooper was dismissed, and spin came to Australia’s rescue once again when Jess Jonassen bowled Knight for a 72-ball 40, just as the third wicket partnership between her and captain Stefanie Taylor began to frustrate Australia.
The rest of the West Indies innings was largely slow and laboured thanks to accurate bowling by the Australians. Captain Taylor too was dismissed for 23 runs off 50 deliveries, and West Indies kept losing regular wickets.
