Batting collapse hands WI women series defeat
-India Women beat hosts by 7 wickets in third T20I
West Indies Women conceded a series defeat after going down to India Women by seven wickets in the third T20 International at the National Stadium, Providence last night with the latter now with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
After winning the toss and opting to bat in front of a handful of spectators and in cool conditions, the Caribbean side were contained to just 59-9, their lowest total in an uninterrupted T20I.
Only two times have West Indies Women scored less than this total with 7-1 from two overs in a noresult contest and 42-8 in eight overs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
The Indian spinners enjoyed a field day with the ball gripping as 27year-old off-spinner Anuja Patil made the early breakthrough with a sharp return catch to send Hayley Matthews on her way for five.
Shortly after, local girl Shemaine Campbelle, unable to score freely, was slapped to point for two from a dozen deliveries while Stacy-Ann King, who was dropped on duck, was bowled by Deepti
Sharma for seven from 24 balls, in effect leaving West Indies Women reeling at 26-3.
With West Indies Women 41-3, a 22-minute delay due to the lights on the north-east side of the ground shutting off, did not cool the red-hot India ladies who struck with the wicket of Chedean Nation who was stumped two balls into the resumption off of left-arm spinner Radha Yadav. Nation managed 11 from 27 balls, one of only two batters to reach double figures.
West Indies Women had a glimmer of hope when Sheneta Grimmond smashed Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur down the ground into the dug-out for a six but that hope was extinguished in the next delivery with the Guyanese being trapped leg before wicket for eight as West Indies Women slipped to 48-7.
Afy Fletcher was sent packing after being bowled with the first delivery she faced. Chinelle Henry was the other batter to reach double digits with 11 also, which came from 18 balls and included one four pulled through mid-wicket before she fell in the 18th over.
Yadav ended with 2-6 from her four overs and was supported by Deepti Sharma with 2-12.
The hosts were off to a wonderful start with offspinner Matthews drawing down 15-year-old opener
Shafali Verma down the ground as she looked to tuck it on the leg side but missed and allowed Campbelle a text-book stumping.
Matthews then had another breakthrough with Smirti Mandhanna picking out Shakira Selman at cover for three.
However, Jemimah Rodrigues produced a player of the match performance with an unbeaten 40 from 51 balls consisting of four boundaries while Sharma was on the other end on seven not out.
The fourth match will be played on Sunday at 13:30 hours.