Australia Women produced a composed all-round performance to secure a 17-run victory over West Indies Women in the second T20I at Arnos Vale Ground, taking control of the series in what turned out to be a closely fought contest. Despite a spirited chase led by Hayley Matthews, the hosts fell short as Australia’s bowlers held their nerve in the crucial phases.
Australia post a competitive total after strong middle-order effort
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Australia Women put up a solid total of 164/5 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was built around impactful contributions from multiple batters, with Georgia Voll providing early momentum through a brisk 39 off 23 balls, striking six boundaries and a six.
Beth Mooney had a relatively quiet outing, managing 17 off 20 deliveries, but Phoebe Litchfield steadied the innings with a fluent 35 off 29 balls. The backbone of Australia’s innings, however, came from the experienced Ellyse Perry, who played a commanding knock of 42 off just 28 deliveries, laced with six boundaries.
Towards the end, Georgia Wareham and Nicola Carey chipped in with quick cameos to push the total beyond the 160-mark, giving Australia a strong platform to defend.
For West Indies Women, the bowling effort was disciplined but lacked breakthroughs at regular intervals. Deandra Dottin, Matthews, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack, and Jahzara Claxton picked up one wicket each, but none were able to significantly halt Australia’s scoring momentum.
Hayley Matthews leads the fightback in chase
In response, West Indies Women finished at 147/4, falling 17 runs short despite a promising start and a determined middle-order effort. Qiana Joseph began positively but was dismissed early after scoring 11. Matthews once again showcased her class with a superb knock of 56 off 41 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes. She anchored the innings and kept the required run rate within reach for a major part of the chase.
Stafanie Taylor supported her with a steady 22 off 27 balls, while Dottin injected late hope with an aggressive 39 off 28 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes. However, the lack of acceleration in the middle overs and the inability to find boundaries consistently towards the end proved costly.
Alana King shines as Australia defend successfully
Australia’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance, with Alana King emerging as the standout performer. She claimed two crucial wickets while conceding just 25 runs in her four overs, effectively breaking partnerships and slowing the scoring rate.
Georgia Wareham also made an impact with the ball, picking up one wicket and maintaining tight lines, conceding only 16 runs in her spell. The rest of the bowling attack, including Kim Garth and Darcie Brown, played their roles in containing the opposition despite going wicketless. Eventually, Aussies ended up winning the contest by 17 runs and taking a 2-0 lead in the 3-match series.
Australia beat West Indies in the second Women’s T20I 👏#WIvsAUS
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/bZ4TFF4fYK pic.twitter.com/XMrjadbgtc— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) March 22, 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
