Australia 106 for 2 (Healy 32, Perry 29*, Connell 1-15) beat West Indies 103 (Williams 25, Sutherland 3-23, McGrath 2-10, Garth 2-14, King 2-20) by eight wickets
A clinical bowling performance led by Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King helped Australia romp to a dominant eight-wicket win over West Indies and a 2-0 ODI series triumph. But their victory at Junction Oval was slightly overshadowed by two controversial TV umpiring decisions.
Sutherland claimed three wickets, while Garth, King and Tahlia McGrath picked up two each as West Indies were bowled out for just 103 inside 31.4 overs after being sent into bat. Then a 57-run opening stand at better than a run-a-ball between Phoebe Litchfield and Alyssa Healy laid the foundation for a comfortable chase with Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney finishing the job untroubled with 34.3 overs to spare.
The only concern for Australia came when Ashleigh Gardner copped a blow on the thumb in the field, which required an x-ray, but she was cleared of any damage.
West Indies were thoroughly outclassed by Australia but controversial decisions from TV umpire Claire Polosak did them no favours, although it is highly unlikely they had a significant impact on the result.
West Indies were 38 for 2 in the 12th over, after Garth had struck twice early including the big wicket of skipper Hayley Matthews for 23, when the first of two decisions went against them. Stafanie Taylor chipped a return catch back to Sutherland, which dipped at the bowler's feet in her follow-through. Sutherland did very well to get her right hand down but the ball appeared to wedge in her fingers after brushing the ground first. However, Polosak took a long look at various slow-motion replays and was satisfied that Sutherland had got her fingers under the ball to complete the catch cleanly and Taylor was given out.
Two balls later, in the next over from King, Polosak was called on again. This time, Shemaine Campbelle had been given out lbw by onfield umpire Eloise Sheridan and she immediately reviewed the decision. Campbelle was trying to defend King on the front foot with her bat and front pad very close together. Again, Polosak needed a long look at the slow-motion replays to determine whether Campbelle had hit the ball before it struck the pad. It looked clear that the ball had deflected off the bat as there was evidence both on UltraEdge and on the replay to show the ball deviating. But Polosak determined that the ball touched the front pad first before hitting the inside edge and then deflected. After deeming it hit the pad first, ball tracking showed three reds, with the ball smashing middle stump well under bail height.
The decision caused Matthews to walk out of the team dugout and voice her frustration to the fourth umpire on the boundary edge.
West Indies coach Shane Deitz was interviewed by broadcaster Channel Seven shortly after. He said he believed Taylor's catch did not carry but he was measured in his analysis of the lbw decision.
"[It] definitely looked like there was some bat and deviation from bat into the pad, but it's hard to say," Deitz said. "We just have to accept the decision and move on. The umpire on the side can't do too much about it so we will just wait after the game and get clarification. But it's out, so we just have to move on."
It left West Indies in tatters at 39 for 4 and without any reviews left after Matthews had earlier burnt one on her plumb lbw off Garth. Although they were out of reviews, they did not need them despite the next three batters also falling lbw. Chinelle Henry and Aaliyah Alleyne were both trapped plumb in front playing from the crease to straight balls from Sutherland.
King continued on from where she left off on Thursday, causing West Indies batters all sorts of problems with her immaculate control. She had Rashada Williams dropped at slip by Mooney after inducing the edge with a beautiful legbreak but later trapped Shabika Gajnabi at the crease with one that skidded on straight.
Captain Healy strangely opted not to continue with the destructive duo of Sutherland and King despite the pair having claimed five wickets between them, following six last Thursday, and pulled them from the attack with West Indies teetering at 80 for 7. With Gardner unavailable because of her thumb injury, Healy opted to give Georgia Wareham and McGrath a bowl instead, the latter having not bowled since the second T20I in Sydney.
Wareham did pick up Williams for 25 when she skied a slog straight up in the air to leave the visitors 84 for 8. But Cherry-Ann Fraser provided some plucky resistance striking a huge six off Wareham over deep midwicket that bounced off the concourse and out of the ground on to Lakeside Drive. Karishma Ramharack struck a blow lofting McGrath over cover to find the rope but fell trying to repeat the dose holing out to Wareham, who had been placed there shortly after. Fraser was the last to fall, chipping McGrath to mid-off.
The chase was a straightforward affair with Healy and Litchfield barely taking a risk while finding the boundary at will with some lovely drives and flicks. West Indies helped the Australian duo with some woeful ground fielding. Both openers fell trying to accelerate proceedings. Perry and Mooney took no such risks to see Australia home.
