Lanning controls chase as Australia stay unbeaten

The result: West Indies 8-106 (Stafanie Taylor 41no; Schutt 3-31) lost to Australia 4-108 (Lanning 54no, Perry 14; Henry 2-15) by six wickets in 18.5 overs

The match in a tweet: Mega-star Lanning leads the way with the bat after a strong bowling performance as the Aussies take a 1-0 T20I series lead

The hero: Meg Lanning continued her excellent run of form, anchoring the Australian run chase with an unbeaten 54. She was given a life on one when she was dropped by opposite number Stafanie Taylor at slip and capitalised to bring up a half-century at a run a ball. She found the boundary six times and expertly worked the singles during her 54-ball innings, which follows the scores of 121 and 58no she made in her two ODI innings in Antigua.

The catch: The Australian skipper was on point in the field as well, jumping high to grasp at a brilliant overhead catch that removed hard-hitting West Indian allrounder Chinelle Henry.

The support acts: With the ball, spearhead Megan Schutt led the way with 3-31 during a West Indian innings that included two early run outs. Schutt was backed up by an economical display from the left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen, whose four overs leaked just 11 runs and reaped the wicket of Sheneta Grimmond.

The consolation effort: Windies skipper Taylor played a lone hand with the bat as the wickets tumbled at the other end. She cleared the ropes twice to finish unbeaten on 44no, but her efforts were not enough to prevent the hosts recording their lowest total in a first innings against Australia in a T20I. With the ball, pace bowler Henry removed both Australian openers inside the Power Play; first, she bowled Beth Mooney (4) with an inswinger, and she struck again in her second over as the in-form Alyssa Healy skied a catch to mid-on when on 12, her first score below fifty since arriving in the Caribbean.

The debut: NSW allrounder Erin Burns was presented with T20 cap No.52 by Sydney Sixers teammate Healy ahead of play, her second international debut in the space of a week after she was given a late call-up to the Australian XI for the second ODI in Antigua last Sunday. She didn’t get a chance to bowl her off-spin or bat, but was responsible for a direct-hit run-out that removed Stacy-Ann King for four.

The stat: During her innings of 54, Lanning became just the fourth player, and first Australian, in women’s T20I history to score 2500 runs in the format.

The dismissal: When Ellyse Perry was given out lbw for 14 in the 14th over of Australia’s chase, it ended her remarkable unbeaten run. Before Saturday night, Perry had scored 382 runs from 456 deliveries in eight innings across all formats without giving up her wicket. It was a streak that extended back to her previous dismissal during the first innings of the one-off Ashes Test on July 19.

The bizarre start: Play was delayed in bizarre circumstances during the opening over when officials were made aware that the dimensions of the playing surface were incorrect, before a second head-scratching moment followed two balls later when Australia thought they had been denied a clear run out. Read all about it HERE.

The toss: Australia were sent into the field when Australia captain Meg Lanning failed to call correctly for the third time in as many matches this series. She missed the second ODI due to a back injury – her stand in, Rachael Haynes, called correctly on that occasion – with Lanning only able to laugh in bemusement after the coin came down ‘tails’ once again. Lanning has won just one toss from the last five matches she’s skippered.

The next stop: Australia and West Indies will meet again in two days’ time with the second T20I to be played at the same venue on Monday from 7pm local time (9am Tuesday AEST). Fans in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea can stream the series live and free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App, while fans elsewhere can watch on the West Indies Cricket YouTube channel.

West Indies XI: Stafanie Taylor (c), Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Britney Cooper, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean, Reniece Boyce (wk), Shabika Gajnabi, Shamilia Connell, Sheneta Grimmond, Stacy Ann King

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Erin Burns, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt

CommBank Tour of the West Indies

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Heather Graham, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

West Indies ODI squad: Stafanie Taylor (c), Hayley Matthews (vc), Reniece Boyce, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Shamilia Connell, Stacy Ann King, Natasha McLean, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi

One-Day Internationals*
*ICC Women's Championship matches

First ODI: Australia won by 178 runs

Second ODI: Australia won by 151 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

Twenty20 Internationals

First T20: Australia won by six wickets

September 16: Second T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 18: Third T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados