Aussie spin puts the clamps on Windies

Australia's trio of tweakers have put West Indies in a spin in St Kitts, as the Tahlia McGrath-led tourists secured a 90-run win to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Returning from a quad niggle, Beth Mooney produced one of the more dogged innings of her one-day career, grinding out 65 from 104 deliveries to anchor Australia's innings of 7-269 following a top-order collapse.

Georgia Wareham (3-29), Ashleigh Gardner (3-34) and Alana King (1-45) then led the way as the Windies were bowled out for 179 in 46 overs, handing Australia the one-day series with a game to play.

The hosts had at one point been 9-130, with a 49-run final-wicket stand between Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack reducing the final deficit.

Australia skipper Sophie Molineux sat out the match, with medical staff conscious of monitoring her workloads with a one-day gap between matches as she manages the back issue that has prevented her from bowling on this Caribbean tour.

Recalled to the XI, McGrath – one of Australia's two co-vice-captains along with Gardner – led the side in her place.

With the South Australian winning the toss and electing to again bat first, Phoebe Litchfield (46 off 47) and Georgia Voll (23 off 24) picked up where Australia left off in the first ODI, as the tourists raced to 0-62 at the end of the Powerplay.

Ashmini Munisar had put Litchfield down on 34 at the start of the 10th, but the off-spinner made amends an over later when she first had Voll, who had been well contained following her damaging form in the final T20I and opening one-dayer, caught in the deep.

A ball later, she threw her hand up in her follow through and held onto a sharp return catch to send Ellyse Perry on her way for a first-ball duck.

Litchfield departed shortly after in near-identical fashion to the opening game, failing to clear the fielder at long-off looking to dispatch the spin of Hayley Matthews.

The Windies captain then ensured Gardner's contribution with the bat in her 200th international game would be limited to five from eight deliveries, cleaning up her stumps with a big turning off-break.

Suddenly Australia were 4-82 in the 16th, having lost 4-18 with the West Indies spinners well on top.

Mooney, back from the quad tightness that sidelined her for the first one-dayer, dug in alongside McGrath.

The boundaries dried up with Australia finding the rope just four times across the next 30 overs, losing McGrath for a 37-ball 24 along the way.

The typically fast-scoring Mooney reached a half-century off 91 deliveries, anchoring the Australian innings through to her dismissal in the 44th over.

Wareham (39 from 37), Nicola Carey (30no from 25) and King (27no from 17) then provided a late-innings boost, as 50 runs came off the final five overs to see Australia to 7-269.

On a used surface, the target was always going to prove difficult for the hosts but openers Matthews and Qiana Joseph (29 off 40) made steady early progress, reaching 0-48 at the end of the Powerplay.

Gardner finally broke through in the 14th, tossing one up to Joseph that got a leading edge back to the off-spinner, breaking the 57-run opening stand.

 Much as the Windies had done in the first innings, Australia's spinners then put the squeeze on the hosts as Wareham worked in tandem with Gardner.

Stand-in skipper McGrath was equally tidy after bringing herself on in the 20th and the pressure paid off when she got the key wicket of Matthews for 45, as the Windies skipper holed out to deep cover.

Wareham had Stafanie Taylor (18) bowled a ball later, then caught the outside edge of Deandra Dottin's bat in the same over, and suddenly the Windies were 4-95 having lost 3-1, with their three most experienced batters departing in the space of seven deliveries.

Chinelle Henry struck a massive six in a spirited 19, but once she was caught off the bowling of Gardner, the wickets tumbled as the Windies lost 5-9 to be 9-130.

Fletcher (32no off 28) and Karishma Ramharack (14 off 45) then denied Australia for a further 11.2 overs during a defiant 49-run final wicket stand before McGrath sealed the win.

Qantas tour of the West Indies 2026

First T20I: Australia won by 43 runs

Second T20I: Australia won by 17 runs

Third T20I: Australia won by 40 runs (DLS method)

First ODI: Australia won by 103 runs

Second ODI: Australia won by 90 runs

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, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Realeanna Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Qiana Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Shunelle Sawh, 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