Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy guided her side to a dramatic Twenty20 series win over the West Indies on Friday at the MCG, where the hosts snuck home with a ball to spare.

The Southern Stars took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-game T20 series, Healy scoring 25no off 12 balls in the four-wicket victory.

The visitors excelled with the bat, opener Stafanie Taylor scoring 78 runs off 58 balls to set Australia a challenging target of 150.

The West Indies’ 6-149 represented the sixth-highest total scored against Australia in women’s T20 cricket, suggesting captain Merissa Aguilleira’s decision to bat first was sound.

It certainly looked that way when Australia required 39 runs from 22 deliveries, Ellyse Perry having just fallen for four when Shakera Selman clutched her second diving catch of the match.

But Healy was up to the task, belting two fours and a massive six before facing up to Selman with the scoreboard reading three runs needed from three balls.

Excellent running between the wickets with Erin Osborne made it one run from two balls.

Healy then brought up the winning runs, a dropped catch proving a suitably tense finish to a tight contest.

Captain Meg Lanning’s knock of 51 off 35 balls laid the perfect platform for the home side.

But Shanel Daley rattled Lanning’s middle stump in the 14th over, triggering a collapse as Australia went from 2-104 to 6-120.

Taylor made the most of a life she was offered on 28, when Kristen Beams fumbled a regulation chance in the deep off the bowling of Osborne.

It took a great catch from Jess Cameron at long-on to end Taylor’s freewheeling knock, which featured a six and 11 fours.

The two sides will play a dead rubber on Sunday at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.