Suzie Bates scored a match-winning 54 (PC: Twitter)
New Zealand Women prevailed by six wickets over the West Indies Women in the second fixture of the T20I series on Saturday (October 1) at Antigua.
Hayley Jensen took 3 wickets (PC: Twitter)
Batting first, West Indies were off to a dismal start as they lost their in-form batters Hayley Matthews (8) and Aaliyah Alleyne (13), and were stuttering at 38/2 in the ninth over.
Afterwards, Kyshona Knight and Chinelle Henry were good support to steer the Caribbean team at a run-a-ball rate. Knight scored 42 off 48, while Henry hit 24 off 22 to propel West Indies to a total of 107/5.
Hayley Jensen was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand with three wickets, followed by Eden Carson with two scalps.
Although 107 was a below-par total, it was a challenge for the visitors in a rather sluggish surface. They started off pretty slow under the presence of skipper Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates. The duo added 37 runs, before Devine was dismissed for 8 off 20 balls.
Then, Amelia Kerr arrived and stabilized the team's innings with her consistent rotation of strike. Bates was imperious with her strokeplay to contribute 54 off 61 balls, laced with six fours.
In the end, Lauren Down remained unbeaten on 9, as White Ferns chased down the score, with a single ball to spare.
Brief Scores:
West Indies Women: 107/5 (20)
Kyshona Knight 42 (48), Chinelle Henry 24 (22);
Hayley Jensen 3/24, Eden Carson 2/12
New Zealand Women: 108/4 (19.5)
Suzie Bates 54 (61), Amelia Kerr 21 (25);
Cherry-Ann Fraser 1/13, Karishma Ramharack 1/23
Result: NZ Women won by 6 wickets
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