England Women seal record 14th consecutive victory across all formats
Saturday 22 June 2019 13:14, UK
England Women cruised to a 42-run victory in the second T20I against the West Indies as they claimed a record 14th consecutive win across all formats.
Danni Wyatt's fine 81 off 55 balls, the highest individual score for an England Women's player in Northampton, included 10 fours and propelled the hosts to a competitive 180-6, after the visitors produced a poor effort in the field.
In response, the returning Linsey Smith dismissed Hayley Matthews with the fifth ball of the match but some big hitting from Stacy-Ann King (43) and Chedean Nation (32) looked like it may have been enough to take the West Indies towards their first win of the tour.
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However, the pair fell in the same Smith over - King picking out Wyatt on the deep square leg boundary going for one big shot too many before Nation was run out by substitute fielder Fran Wilson, as the away side collapsed from 96-4 to 138-9.
The victory extended England's unbeaten run to 14 games in all formats, stretching back to the third one-day international against India in Mumbai on February 28 - the longest by any England Women's side ever.
After being inserted, a shocking display in the field proved costly to the West Indies as they leaked plenty of runs to Amy Jones and Wyatt.
Wyatt should have been easily stumped when on 10 but Kycia Knight failed to gather cleanly behind the stumps before Henry shelled the England opener at extra cover two overs later on 17.
The fielders in the deep fared no better, with Natasha McLean guilty of allowing the ball to go through her hands and away to the boundary on more than one occasion.
Jones' attempt to smack Chinelle Henry away for another four ended in her dragging on to her own stumps as she was bowled for 37 to end an opening stand of 67 and Tammy Beaumont (2) lasted just three balls as spinner Afy Fletcher took a fine return catch.
Despite a couple of quick scalps for the away side, Wyatt brought up a 38-ball fifty as Nat Sciver (31 of 19 balls) and Heather Knight (22 off 11 balls) made fine cameos.
Although Wyatt's fine innings was ended 19 runs short of what would have been a third T20I century - edging Shamilia Connell to Matthews at backward point she had done the required damage.
West Indies' chase got off to a miserable start with Matthews picking out Sophie Ecclestone at short third man and Britney Cooper trapped lbw by Anya Shrubsole for a first-ball duck.
Stafanie Taylor looked to have been run out after jamming her bat in the ground just short of the crease but after being given not out by the third umpire, only for the away side's captain to be run out 28 balls later by Katherine Brunt for 19.
King and Nation seemed to be finding the boundary ropes with ease with England's bowling attack failing to get a handle on the big-hitting pair, only for Smith to step up and turn the game on its head.
Having seen off King, who skied the spinner straight to Wyatt on the deep square leg boundary, Nation was then run out after McLean called for a single that was never there before sending back her batting partner.
Three overs later, Brunt bowled Knight (7) and McLean (9) as the West Indies' innings trailed off without much fight from their lower order.
England lead the three-match T20I series 1-0, after the first match was washed out on Tuesday and Knight's side will hope to seal a clean sweep against the West Indies when the teams meet for the final game in Derby on Tuesday, July 22.
