Saint Vincent, March 22 (IANS) Alana King delivered another strong performance to underline her return to Australia’s T20I setup, claiming 2-25 as the visitors secured a 17-run victory over the West Indies in the second match to clinch the three-match series with a game to left.

After electing to bat, Australia were off to a brisk start courtesy of Georgia Voll, who set the tone with an attacking 39 off 23. Her innings, studded with six boundaries and a maximum, ensured momentum in the powerplay before she departed on the final delivery of the sixth over.

The innings continued to gather pace even after field restrictions eased, with Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry putting together a 58-run stand for the third wicket. While Litchfield contributed 35 off 29 balls, Perry’s fluent 42 off 28 deliveries kept the scoreboard ticking despite a relatively measured partnership.

Australia found another gear late in the innings, as Perry, Georgia Wareham and Nicola Carey played effectively to add 32 runs in the final four overs, pushing the total to a competitive 164/5.

In reply, West Indies endured an early setback when Qiana Joseph was run out in the fourth over following sharp fielding from Litchfield. Though they avoided further losses in the powerplay, the scoring rate remained subdued, with only 26 runs coming in the first six overs.

Australia’s bowlers maintained tight control, with Kim Garth leading the effort through an economical spell, well supported by Carey, Darcie Brown and King.

Captain Hayley Matthews struggled to find rhythm early, managing just one run off her first 12 deliveries, but later staged a remarkable turnaround. She launched a counterattack, scoring 56 off 41 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, and stitched together a crucial 77-run partnership with Stafanie Taylor to revive the chase.

However, King turned the tide in Australia’s favour during the middle overs. After an expensive start, she bounced back to dismiss Matthews with a catch at mid-off before removing Taylor in her following over, effectively derailing West Indies’ hopes.

A late effort from Deandra Dottin, who remained unbeaten on 39, along with a quick cameo partnership with Jahzara Claxton, narrowed the gap but proved insufficient. West Indies ended on 147/4, falling short as Australia sealed the series with a convincing all-round performance.

Brief Scores: Australia 164/5 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 42, Georgia Voll 39; Deandra Dottin 1-30, Afy Fletcher 1-32) beat West Indies 147/4 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 56, Deandra Dottin 39; Alana King 2-25, Georgia Wareham 1-16) by 17 runs.

–IANS

vi/bc