| West Indies 43 (over 16.2): Joseph 11, Davies 3-2, Davidson-Richards 3-5 |
| England 44-2 (5.3 overs): Sciver 20* |
| England won by eight wickets |
| Scorecard |
England beat the West Indies for just 43 on the verge of completing a 5-0 sweep in the T20 series with an eight-wicket win at Barbados.
The hosts were knocked out in 16.2 overs for their lowest ever tally in T20 internationals.
Seamers Freya Davies and Alice Davidson-Richards starred with the ball, claiming 3-2 and 3-5 respectively.
England chased the aggregate in 5.3 overs, with Nat Sciver unbeaten on 20.
The result means England have won all eight of their Caribbean tour matches, having won the previous one-day international series 3-0.
England’s dominance demonstrated an extreme chasm in class between the two sides, with Heather Knight’s side very rarely challenged throughout.
West Indies batters struggled throughout both series, culminating in a dismal slump.
They limped to 16-4 after the six-man power play, hit just two limits in all of their innings and looked like a tired, deflated team in desperate need of a pre-World Cup reset. T20 in February.
Disappointing end to a one-sided series
For the first time in the series, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews won the coin toss and opted to strike first – a decision that probably made sense, given they had lost the previous three games attempting to chase .
Matthews is a young captain with a huge responsibility on her shoulders – the star of an inexperienced side – and it seems to be taking its toll.
She left for eight in the second to trigger a meltdown that summed up the series in its entirety as England bowlers went wild.
The tourists played with precision but didn’t need to be exceptional. Every batter who entered threw his wicket into a calamitous frenzy of run balls, big swings and, quite simply, a huge gap in ability.
They couldn’t do much to defend 43, but the West Indies bowlers had a decent run, while the debuts of 19-year-old Trishan Holder and Djenaba Joseph should serve them well going forward.
Where is England before the World Cup?
Given the one-sided nature of the tour, assessing England’s form ahead of the World Cup is not straightforward.
But there are undoubtedly plenty of positives to take, and the confidence of winning will also stand them in good stead.
England’s depth and ability to rotate players has been a real asset and advantage for Knight and new head coach Jon Lewis, and is certainly down to the increased professionalism domestically.
There are still question marks around the stick as England still tend to lose wickets in clusters and there is uncertainty over Alice Capsey’s return from injury but bowling has all the basics covered.
England possess a varied seam attack with pace from Lauren Bell, the world’s best bowler in Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean’s rapid improvement every time she enters the pitch, as she finished best wicket-taker in the series with 11.
The Couturiers all benefited from plenty of game and rest time, with Katherine Brunt, Bell, Sciver and Davies moving in and out of the XI – while Issy Wong recovered from his tight quad to play the final game .
They may not have been challenged often, but England took valuable points in the ICC Women’s Championship, and Lewis enjoyed a perfect start to their reign.
In the new year, attention turns to the small business of a World Cup and Ashes home series.
