by England 141 for 6 (Dunkley 43, Matthews 3-15) batted West India 125 for 8 (Fletcher 18, Dean 3-22) with 16 runs
West Indies have struggled with the bat throughout England’s tour, losing a seriously lopsided ODI series 3-0 and heavily defeated in the first T20I, all in Antigua. And so it continued as the teams moved to Barbados for the remaining matches and England won the second T20I by 16 runs with three matches remaining. Matthews, the West Indies captain, gave her side a chance with 3 for 15 from her four overs and had the hosts’ batting been stronger, 142 could have looked an achievable target. But Dean, playing just her second T20I – and bowling for the first time in the format after her January Ashes debut was washed out – put paid to that idea with her 3 for 22 to leave England on the brink of another series win ahead of the third game of five on Saturday.
The tourists made three changes to the side that cruised to an eight-wicket win on Sunday with the aim of exposing as many members of their squad to match condition ahead of February’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. Fast bowler Issy Wong, yet to feature in the series, was left out after experiencing tightness in her quad, while England rested the highly experienced trio of Nat Sciver, Amy Jones and Sophie Ecclestone. Along with all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards came seamer Freya Davies and off-spinner Dean, both bowlers who played a part in defending England’s total.
Dunkley looked in fine touch as she smoked Chinelle Henry for six over long off. But then leg-spinner Afy Fletcher came on in the sixth over and stood in for Danni Wyatt, who misjudged the length of a quicker ball that slipped on and hit the top of middle and outside off stump. Winfield-Hill tried to swing over Matthews’ line and was caught at midfield by Karishma Ramharack. After 10 overs, England were 57 for 2, compared to 85 for 2 in their first match, and just as captain Heather Knight hit her flow via back-to-back fours from Aaliyah Alleyne, it was 76 for 3 in the 13th over. was beaten by a wide delivery from Ramharack for 18 off 14.
Dunkley picked out Henry at long-off to give Matthews his second wicket and Maia Bouchier fell after a handy cameo of 24 off 14 as Matthews bowled up and Kycia Knight hit the shots. Cherry-Ann Fraser conceded just five runs off the penultimate over – England managed just 31 off the last five overs – and then took a stunning diving catch to her left at mid-on to remove Katherine Brunt in the last over of the innings.
After two overs, West Indies were 21 for no loss, Bell conceding 14 of them after the second over. However, Davies came into the attack in the third over, striking with his third ball when Alleyne chipped to Brunt at mid-on. Playing a secondary role to her opening partner, Matthews was bowled in the next over, tricked by a well-flying Dean delivery, and the West Indies were 23 for 2 in the first four overs of the reply.
Dean then got Rashada Williams to fall backward in a heap to one that clattered into the stumps, giving her 2 for 1 from 1.4 overs. Sarah Glenn chipped in with the wicket of Djenaba Joseph, stumped by Winfield-Hill, before Dean returned to bowl Kycia Knight in the 10th over, leaving them at 50 for 5. Brunt had to venture into the car park to pick up a huge six bowled by Shabika Gajnabi as Davidson-Richards conceded 12 runs off the 19th over. And Fraser drove another maximum off Bell soon after she had dismissed Fletcher to claim her second wicket. But there were rare batting highlights that came too late for the home side.
