The rain that has dogged the men’s World Cup miraculously stayed away from Chelmsford on Thursday long enough to allow England Women to clean sweep West Indies in their ODI series, the home side winning the reduced 39-overs-a-side contest by 135 runs (D/L method).
Amy Jones did the double, taking player of the match and series awards after she top-scored with 80, while Heather Knight hammered an unbeaten 19-ball 40 as they made 258 for four. “We’re really pleased to have won 3-0 and to have been ruthless throughout the series,” Knight said. “It’s important that we set our own standards and maintain them regardless of who we’re playing. We’ve done a lot of things very well across these games. It’s 13 wins in a row now, which is great. We just want everyone to keep working hard and to keep pushing to get better every game.”
West Indies could muster only 131 in reply, losing nine wickets and among them a first international dismissal by the ODI debutant Bryony Smith.
It means that the visitors – who sit seventh in the ICC Women’s Championship table, with only Australia and India to face – have not only lost every match of this series, but probably also lost the chance to qualify automatically for the 2021 World Cup.
It was a largely disappointing end to what has been a dismal series for them. With rain falling even at the toss, Stafanie Taylor had initially put England in to bat in the hope that her side could take advantage of the difficult batting conditions. Instead the ball – and, slowly, the match – slipped through their fingers, Hayley Matthews fumbling a catch at gully that would have seen off Tammy Beaumont while still in single figures. The opener eventually reached 46 before being adjudged leg-before to Afy Fletcher.
In the interim the rain had caused a two-and-a-half-hour delay to proceedings, along with a reduction in overs: England responded with a barrage of boundaries. Beaumont’s departure merely handed added impetus to Jones, who celebrated her 26th birthday by bringing up her fifth half-century in her last six ODI innings. Only a diving catch from Britney Cooper at deep midwicket was enough to see her off.
“I’ve done some good work with the batting coach Ali Maiden and I feel in good form,” Jones said. “I love opening the batting and feel comfortable there. I’ve been pretty good against spin, we’ve worked on footwork and getting right to the ball, and I’m happy it’s paid off.”
Sarah Taylor hung around long enough to grind out 70 runs – her highest international score in 12 months – as she at last found some form before the women’s Ashes. But it was Knight’s big-hitting cameo in the closing overs which lifted England’s total firmly into unassailable territory, the highlight a huge six over deep midwicket which almost sailed out of the ground.
In response, Matthews had looked in ominous form, walloping Kate Cross down the ground for a huge maximum of her own. She was stopped in her tracks the very next ball though, by a breathtaking full-stretch diving catch from Fran Wilson at cover and which should be shown on repeat to anyone who ever professes scepticism about the women’s game.
😮 "What a world-class catch that is!" 😮
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 13, 2019
Wilson takes a worldie in the covers off Cross! 👏 👏 👏
Watch England Women take on West Indies Women live on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup and Sky Sports Mix now!
Live blog: https://t.co/dWEvDId9zM pic.twitter.com/PIK9KFVX5A
From there, West Indies folded into themselves once again, not helped by the fact that Taylor was absent from proceedings, undergoing an X-ray on her right hand she injured in the field. West Indies will be praying she recovers in time for the T20 series which starts on Tuesday.
