Windies lose opener to clinical England

West Indies Women fell to an eight-wicket defeat against England Women in their opening Twenty20 International of the five-match series on Saturday in England. West Indies struggled in seamer-friendly conditions at the Riverside Ground and were held to 71-8 off their allotted overs – their lowest ever T20 total. Captain Merissa Aguilleira, batting at Number three, top-scored with 21 from 29 balls and led only three players in double figures as Tremayne Smartt (14) and Shemaine Campbelle (11) chipped in. Left-arm spinner Holly Colvin finished with two for five from her four overs while new ball bowler Katherine Brunt claimed two for 16. England needed just over half-hour to claim victory, as Laura Marsh (31) and captain Charlotte Edwards (27) set the foundation for the easy victory with a 59-run opening stand. Marsh stroked five fours off 22 balls while Edwards counted three boundaries off 26 balls. West Indies stumbled out of the blocks, losing Juliana Nero without scoring to the second ball of the game with no runs on the board, lbw to Brunt swinging across the line. Four balls later, left-hander Kycia Knight also departed without scoring via the lbw route. When the dangerous Deandra Dottin was also lbw without scoring, this time to Brunt’s new-ball partner Anya Shrubsole, West Indies were in a deep hole at seven for three in the second over. Aguilleira, however, halted the decline with a 28-run fourth wicket stand off 48 balls with Campbelle. The right-hander stroked two fours and looked to be pulling the Windies around when she was one of two wickets to fall in successive overs with just two runs added. Campbelle was bowled around her legs by Colvin before Aguilleira, attempting to push the scoring along, lofted off-spinner Marsh to mid-off at the end of the 11th over. Wickets then fell steadily and Smartt’s run-a-ball 14 was the only spark at the end.