Twin centuries power England past WI

For the second straight match openers Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont both scored centuries and England Women predictably defeated a West Indies Women’s side missing their inspirational captain Hayley Matthews by 143 runs in the second One Day International here at Grace Road on Wednesday.

Player-of-the-Match Jones slammed 129 from just 98 balls, while Beaumont made 106, which helped propel England Women to their sixth highest ODI total of 366 for six from their 50 overs, after they won the toss and chose to bat.

They put on 202 runs for the first wicket to become only the second pair with two 200-plus partnerships in Women’s ODIs, joining Australians Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry.

Chasing 367 was always going to be a tough ask for a West Indies side missing Matthews, who was out with a shoulder injury sustained in the opening ODI and hard-hitting opener Qiana Joseph due to illness.

Debutant Realeanna Grimmond, opening in place of Matthews, scored an impressive half century and Jannillea Glasgow hit a counterattacking 44, but it was never going to be enough and the visitors were dismissed for 223 in 45.4 overs.

The result gave the home side an unassailable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three series, with the final match set to be played on Saturday.

England Women started positively, racing to 70 without loss after just five overs, with Jones and Beaumont hitting 13 boundaries between them.

Jahzara Claxton should have had Jones’ wicket when she was 43, but Grimmond spilled the catch at point.

It was a miss the West Indies would regret.

Jones went on to bring up her half century off 41 balls and a boundary off spinner Afy Fletcher carried England past 100 in the seventh over.

She then moved into her 80s by thumping Glasgow for three successive boundaries to start the 20th over.

Beaumont eventually got to her half century off 64 balls, and in the next over Jones drove Karishma Ramharack through extra cover for four to reach her century off 76 balls.

The West Indies finally broke the partnership when Ramharack had Jones caught and bowled in the 30th over, after she had struck 20 fours.

Beaumont made it to three figures by hitting Ramharack for three boundaries off consecutive balls in the 38th over as England motored along to 261 for one.

Emma Lamb sustained England’s momentum by scoring 55 off 45 balls during a 71-run partnership with Beaumont that further frustrated the visitors.

But Ramharack dismissed Beaumont, Aliyah Alleyne accounted for captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Glasgow snared Lamb’s wicket to slow the run rate and reduce England to 318 for four.

Sophia Dunkley smashed 31 from 19 balls to ensure England finished with a flourish on their way to posting a formidable total.

Alleyne, with 2-52 and Ramharack (2-57), were the West Indies’ best bowlers.

Needing to score at over seven and a half runs an over, the visitors started their run chase positively with Grimmond and Zaida James adding 37 runs in quick time.

However, Lauren Bell had the latter caught behind for 19 and Linsey Smith ended stand-in captain Shemaine Campbelle’s torturous stay at the crease by having her caught for six off 23 balls, to make it 61 for two in the 15th over.

Grimmond kept her side in the game and brought up her maiden ODI half century off 64 balls when she pulled Lauren Filer to square leg for a single.

But two overs later she was caught at long on for 53 trying to hit Smith out of the ground, to leave the Windies 90 for three in the 23rd over.

Stafanie Taylor made 20 before she was dismissed by Alice Capsey, and the West Indies’ chances of victory essentially ended when they lost the wickets of Glasgow, Shabika Gajnabi and Aliyah Alleyne in the space of seven balls to slump to 154 for seven.

Cherry-Ann Fraser (24), Claxton (18) and Ramharack, who scored an unbeaten 15, all made cameos but by then the result was decided.

For England, Capsey took 3-41, Smith 2-27, and Filer 2-44.

(CMC)