King shines again as Australia seal T20I series in West Indies

Alana King has continued pushing her case for a T20 World Cup berth, again playing the starring role with the ball as Australia closed out a T20I series win over the West Indies in St Vincent.

King picked up 2-25, while Hayley Matthew's 41-ball 56 was not enough as the tourists were restricted to 4-147 at Arnos Vale Stadium, securing a 17-run win and unassailable 2-0 series lead for Australia.

It followed King's 3-14 in the series opener, with leg-spin again the main weapon for Australia with Georgia Wareham (1-16) the other wicket taker.

Kim Garth set the tone early with ball in hand, with just three runs coming from her first two overs as the Australian attack contained the powerful West Indies' top-order in the Powerplay.

The pressure saw Qiana Joseph (11) run out in the fourth over, but while Matthews and Stafanie Taylor were well-contained, no Australian bowler was able to inflict further damage as the hosts reached 1-65 at the drinks break.

Needing another 100 runs from the final 10 overs, Matthews and Taylor hit the accelerator after the break, hammering 17 runs off Darcie Brown's next over, before Matthews reached a 38-ball fifty via back-to-back fours from Tahlia McGrath.

The return of King in the 12th over got the wicket Australia desperately needed, as Matthews hit it straight down the throat of Sophie Molineux at mid-off.

After King's second saw Taylor stumped for a 27-ball 22, the asking rate rocketed above 16 over and while the powerful Deandra Dottin (39no from 28) provided late fireworks – including two enormous sixes – the target proved beyond her reach.

The West Indian caused was not helped when key allrounder Chinelle Henry left the field four overs into the match due to a thumb injury, limiting her contribution to two overs and rendering her unable to bat.

The hosts will be sweating on her availability for the third T20I, while Australia will be closely monitoring Ashleigh Gardner, who sat out Saturday's game with a hamstring niggle.

After Australia again opted to set the Windies a target, Ellyse Perry (42 from 28) and Georgia Voll (39 from 23) were the top contributors in Australia's 5-164, an identical total to the 6-164 they posted batting first in the previous game but compiled in a considerably different manner.

Where Australia's top-order was well-contained and scored at less than a run a ball in the first half of their innings on Thursday, a more imposing approach saw them to in a commanding position at 2-86 at the 10-over mark on Saturday.

Voll started with back-to-back boundaries off Dottin and appeared poised to go big, smacking six fours and a six, but her innings ended in innocuous fashion on the final ball of the Powerplay when she holed out to Jannillea Glasgow at mid-on, ending a 54-run opening stand.

First-game hero Beth Mooney was bowled by a delivery from leg-spinner Afy Fletcher that kept low for 17, bringing Perry to the middle to join Phoebe Litchfield.

At 2-86 after 10 with Perry and Litchfield set, Australia looked poised for a massive total but in a trend that has followed them from last month's home series in India, a late-innings fade-out forced them to settle a lower total.

Litchfield started brightly with two early boundaries off the spin of Matthews but was squeezed after the break, only managing to find the rope once more before the pressure saw her hole out in the 16th over.

Perry, put down on 17 and 21, made the Windies pay for the lapses but was denied a half-century when she was caught on the rope on 42 in the 18th, leaving Australia 4-147 with 2.2 overs remaining.

Another fine display at the death from Dottin meant Wareham (11 from 8) and Tahlia McGrath (5no from 7) – the latter promoted to No.6 in place of Gardner – couldn't provide the late-innings fireworks Australia were searching for.

Back-to-back boundaries from Nicola Carey (9no from 5) in the final over, however, pushed the Australia total over 160.

The teams will return to Arnos Vale Stadium on Monday (9.30am Tuesday AEDT) for the third and final T20I, before the action moves to St Kitts for the ODIs.

Qantas tour of the West Indies 2026

First T20I: Australia won by 43 runs

Second T20I: Australia won by 17 runs

Third T20I: March 24, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 23, 6:30pm local

First ODI: March 28, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 27, 2pm local)

Second ODI: March 30, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 29, 2pm local)

Third ODI: April 3, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (April 2, 2pm local)

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Eboni Brathwaite, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Shawnisha Hector, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia Wilson

All matches to be broadcast on ESPN via Disney+ only