Australian women’s cricketers beat Windies

Veteran Alex Blackwell has joined rare company in helping Australia to a comfortable victory over the West Indies in the women’s T20 cricket match in Sydney.

Blackwell became just the second Australian woman to post 1000 runs in the short format as the Southern Stars surpassed the Windies’ 7-113 with seven balls to spare at North Sydney Oval.

Opener Jess Jonassen top-scored with a quickfire 46 off 51 balls as Australia posted 6-117 in their 10th successive T20 triumph.

The world champions won the toss and opted to bowl first, restricting the Windies to their modest total thanks largely to the tight leg-spinning of Kristen Beams.

Beams collected 2-15 from three overs and claimed the key wicket of big-hitting opener Stafanie Taylor for 52.

Taylor’s 54-ball knock included a 52-run third-wicket stand with Deandra Dottin, who made a run-a-ball 24.

But it was not enough as Australia’s bowlers slowed the Windies late in their innings.

In addition to her fine batting, Jonassen took 1-27 to earn player-of-the-match honours, while Renee Farrell (1-13) and Sarah Coyte (1-17) also picked up wickets in four-over spells.

Star all-rounder Ellyse Perry went wicketless, going for 0-16 from two overs, and was caught and bowled by spinner Anisa Mohammed for just three.

Perry’s departure, though, brought Blackwell to the crease and Australia’s most-capped player didn’t disappoint, finally hitting her 1000th T20 run with a stylish down-the-pitch off drive for an easy single.

Blackwell had been stranded in the nervous 990s for five innings, including three ducks, but celebrated her milestone on Sunday with a slashing boundary.

The 31-year-old was eventually out for 11 off seven balls, but not before joining Meg Lanning as the only Australian woman to score more than 1000 T20 runs.

Lanning’s 24 from 23 balls against the Windies advanced her record tally to 1310 from 72 T20 matches.

The women’s match was the first of four against the Windies and preceded the men’s T20 clash between South Africa and a Cricket Australia XI.

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