A 123-run fifth-wicket partnership between Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation rescued West Indies from 98 for 4 to a total over 225, their second highest against England. Theirs was an innings of thirds. It started with an 81-run opening stand between Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin before a collapse of 4 for 17. Then the Campbelle-Nation stand that gave them something to defend.
They will want to be more disciplined than England, who were messy in the field. While Sophie Ecclestone’s 3 for 20, including two wickets in the same over, headlined their effort, England were far from their best, dropping four catches and conceding 23 wides on a slow surface in Dunedin.
In cloudy conditions, England’s opening bowlers found swing upfront and should have a wicket first ball when Dottin’s leading edge was put down by Lauren Winfield-Hill at mid-on. Soon after. Dottin hit Anya Shrubsole over cow corner for the first six of the innings at the end of the second over.
Matthews could have been dismissed early too, but for a reprieve on 5 when Tammy Beaumont put down a tough chance at point while back-tracking. Matthews went on to pull Katherine Brunt through midwicket, drive her off the backfoot through the covers and hit Shrubsole over long-on and mid-off to bring up the West Indies 50 inside 10 overs.
They were scoring at close to six runs an over when Kate Cross was introduced in the 11th over. She could have had Matthews but for a return catch she put down. She did, however, apply the squeeze with Nat Sciver before Ecclestone forced a slowdown through eight boundary-less overs that led to a collapse.
Matthews was the first to go on 45 when she top-edged a heave to short third to break an 81-run opening stand in the 21st over. Three balls later, Deandra Dottin was run out after a mix-up with Kycia Knight, as Danni Wyatt swooped in to under arm a direct hit at the striker’s end. One ball later, Stafanie Taylor met a slow Ecclestone ball with an open-faced bat to defend but got the outside edge and was caught behind for a first-ball duck.
West Indies could have lost a fourth shortly after but for Campbelle’s lbw decision being overturned by DRS. The impact to a sweep she missed off Heather Knight was found to be outside off and she survived. But England only had to wait until the next delivery to get a wicket as Kycia Knight drilled Ecclestone straight to short cover.
West Indies were 98 for 4 after 27 overs, after losing four for 17 in seven overs. Only 37 runs came in the next 10 overs, with just one boundary, as England continued to apply pressure, but Campbelle and Chedean Nation absorbed it. They saw off Ecclestone, who came from 0 for 77 against Australia to finish with 3 for 20 today and brought up their 50-run stand in the 40th over.
As the innings approached its end, the pair became more aggression. Nation broke a 13-over drought when she drove Sciver square of the wicket for a boundary in the 45th. Then Campbelle swivel-pulled Sciver behind square and then flicked her to midwicket to raise a 70-ball half-century. Soon, they also raised the century stand.
While Campbelle was out eventually trying to heave a full delivery, only to miss, Nation batted through but fell one short of a half-century. However, she had played her part in ensuring West Indies were in the contest at the halfway mark.