As England completed a 3-0 sweep of their one-day international series against the West Indies in Antigua, Nat Sciver once again contributed to both runs and wickets.
After making her comeback on this tour from a three-month mental-health hiatus, Sciver, the player of the match and the series, scored her second half-century in three games, breaking a record for the most ODI runs by an England women cricketer in a calendar year in the process.
Despite missing the three matches against India in September, her 85 off 69 deliveries to steady England from 84 for 4 propelled her to 833 ODI runs for 2022, surpassing Claire Taylor’s total of 807 set in 2005. It came after her 96-ball 90 against the West Indies in the opening game, which served as her comeback.
In a great bowling effort by England, headed by Sophie Ecclestone’s frugal three-wicket haul, Sciver also claimed two significant wickets as West Indies crumbled to 105 in pursuit of 257.
West Indies have gone 11 ODI innings without scoring 200 runs after knocking England out within their 50-over allotment for the second game in a row.
With the exception of captain Hayley Matthews, who gave her team a chance by taking Sciver, Danni Wyatt, and Charlie Dean for wickets as England was bowled out for 256 in 43.3 overs, West Indies’ batting effort was subpar, with no one else making it past 13.
Even Matthews’ 28 out of 39 fell well short, but she got off to a strong start with some beautiful extra-cover drives off Freya Davies, who was replacing Lauren Bell in the lineup after her critical four-wicket haul in Tuesday’s second game.
Matthews was caught by Ecclestone’s spectacular one-handed grab as she launched herself to her right at slip to nab the ball from Kate Cross in the 11th over, leaving West Indies at 40 for 1.
Ecclestone, a left-arm spinner, was superior in that regard with 48 dot balls in her nine overs, which resulted in three wickets for just nine runs. Cross was very economical with 1 for 14 from her seven overs. Dean, an offspinner, was also frugal, bowling eight overs with 40 dot balls and one for sixteen.
After Matthews was fired, West Indies’ run rate drastically decreased. As West Indies lost three wickets without scoring a run in the span of ten balls, Sciver had Kycia Knight caught by Tammy Beaumont and pinned Rashada Williams, who had produced an unbeaten half-century in the second match, lbw either side of Dean’s dismissal of Aaliyah Alleyne.
After that, Ecclestone had two in one over when she dismissed Chinelle Henry and Chedean Nation, both lbw, to leave the score at 91 for 7 at the end of the 32nd over. After that, Shakera Selman’s injury prevented her from batting, and the home team achieved their lowest series total.
Before Sciver and Wyatt anchored England with an 80-run partnership for the fifth wicket, left-arm orthodox spinner Kaysia Schultz had taken the wickets of opener Emma Lamb, ending a 63-run opening stand with Beaumont, and No. 3 Sophia Dunkley.
Sciver reached her 20th ODI fifty by clipping a fuller ball from Cherry-Ann Fraser to the boundary via backward square-leg. But in the 28th over, Matthews re-entered the fray and claimed two crucial scalps. She tossed one up to stump an advancing Wyatt before her full, flighted ball went under Sciver’s attempted slog-sweep and crashed into leg stump.
When Selman caught Ecclestone lbw and England stumbled once more at 218 for 7, she had already bowled Beaumont as England slipped from 63 for 0 to 65 for 2.
Following Cross’ dismissal to Selman’s yorker, Matthews enticed Dean with a well-flighted ball that led to a return catch. Henry, who had missed opportunities off Wyatt and Amy Jones, then had Davies caught by Shemaine Campbelle at cover point.
After her outstanding 70 not out in the second game, Amy Jones, who is still filling in for Heather Knight while she recovers from hip surgery, was left stranded on 32 off 31 balls.
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