Australia makes short work of Windies in final warm-up game

The Australian women's cricket team bowled out its West Indian counterpart for less than a hundred runs to cap off a 43-run victory in its final warm-up match before the ICC World T20.

Kristen Beams of Australia celebrates the wicket of D. Dottin of the West Indies in a World T20 warmup match at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Chasing Australia’s 140, West Indies’ Hayley Mathews lofted the second ball of the innings, that pitched once before going past the long on boundary. The next ball, she lofted again, only to be caught by Australian skipper Meg Lanning between the covers and mid-off. What followed was a series of stifling overs and regular loss of wickets, which resulted in Australia winning by 43 runs.

Rene Farell and Kristen Beams picked three wickets each, wrecking the West Indies batting order.

Earlier, Elyssa Villani’s half-century (51 off 42 balls) and skipper Meg Lanning’s unbeaten 49 (off 39 balls) got Australia to 139 for three. Villani and Alyssa Healy got Australia off to a good start, putting on 70 runs in 10.1 overs. Villani, who was more aggressive of the two, scored runs in different directions.

When it was pitched full on the fifth-stump line, she played it through the covers. When the ball was slow, she jumped down and hit the ball to the long on boundary. She even attempted a reverse-sweep, when the ball was pitched wide.

With her opening bowlers failing to provide a breakthrough, West Indies skipper Stefanie Taylor brought herself on in the ninth over. She struck an over later, pouching a return catch to dismiss Healy.

West Indies, then, slowed the rate down for a while forcing Villani to go for a big hit but she was caught and bowled to Deandra Dottin. Lanning then steered her team’s innings, scoring at least a boundary in the following overs.

West Indies, tried seven bowling options, with only opening bowler Shamilia Connell and its primary spinner Afy Fletcher completing four overs.