Sophia Dunkley’s knock of 43 runs followed by Charlie Dean’s three-wicket haul guided England to a 16-run win over West Indies in the second T20I game of the five-match series here at Kensington Oval.
England rested key players Nat Sciver, Amy Jones, and Sophie Ecclestone in Barbados before defending a total of 141 for 6 with ease against a struggling home bowling line-up. Sophia Dunkley (43) top-scored for the visitors, batting for the whole of the innings on a terribly slow surface. Dunkley hit one glorious six over long-off and dragged two fours through the legside as she took over after the early losses of Danni Wyatt and Lauren Winfield-Hill, who kept wicket for the first time in international cricket – also the first time Jones has missed an England match since replacing Sarah Taylor behind the stumps.
In the absence of Sciver, Maia Bouchier was given a rare opportunity in England’s middle order and played a fine supporting role after Heather Knight’s team fumbled through the first half of their innings, reaching 57 for 2 at the midway point.
Knight, on the other hand, upped the ante, chipping superbly over midwicket and driving past point in successive deliveries before being stumped down the legside by Karishma Ramharack. Bouchier was summoned to the crease after Wyatt was bowled cutting and Winfield-Hill holed out to midwicket.
In 4.1 overs, she added 40 alongside Dunkley until the latter picked out long-off, seeking to emulate her earlier six. Two balls later, Bouchier (24) was stumped. England might have been in bigger difficulties had Rashada Williams not squandered two clear opportunities at extra cover.
However, after Katherine Brunt almost ran herself out when attempting a single to the bowler off her first delivery, she and Alice Davidson-Richards struggled to offer any late pyrotechnics, with Brunt giving occasional wicketkeeper Williams a first international wicket. Sarah Glenn then struck 10 off three balls in a vital cameo that helped England reach a score that they easily defended.
West Indies got off to a good start with the bat, with Aaliyah Alleyne hitting three early boundaries, but she chipped Freya Davies to mid-off, launching a five-over collapse. Hayley Matthews, who grabbed three wickets with her off-spin but is struggling with the bat, was sent through the gate by Charlie Dean’s off-spin, before Dean – bowling in a T20I for the first time – cleaned out Williams, the hosts’ finest batsman in the last fortnight.
Djenaba Joseph, a member of the West Indies’ under-19 team, was stumped off a brilliant Glenn leg-break, while Kycia Knight was bowled by a similarly textbook dismissal for Dean, flying up a ball that pitched on middle and took her off-stump.
Chinelle Henry, who had been costly with the ball before, chipped Lauren Bell to Wyatt in the deep, and Shemaine Campbelle was stranded in front by Brunt, before Afy Fletcher was fooled by a brilliant Bell slower ball. West Indies were pulled closer by towering sixes from Shabika Gajnabi and Cherry-Ann Fraser, but England won by 16 runs to extend their series lead. (ANI)
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