England 141 for 6 (Dunkley 43, Matthews 3-15) beat West Indies 125 for 8 (Fletcher 18, Dean 3-22) by 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 fixtures, England winning the second T20I by 16 runs with three matches to go. 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 might have looked an achievable target. But Dean, playing just her second T20I – and bowling for the first time in the format after her debut match during the Ashes in January was washed out – put paid to that idea with her 3 for 22 to leave England on the cusp of another series win ahead of the third game of five on Saturday.
The tourists made three changes to the side which cruised to victory by eight wickets on Sunday with a view to exposing as many members of their squad to match conditions ahead of February’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. Fast bowler Issy Wong, who is 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. Coming in alongside allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards were seamer Freya Davies and offspinner Dean, both bowlers playing a part in defending England’s total.
Dunkley looked in fine touch as she smoked Chinelle Henry for six over long off. But then legspinner Afy Fletcher came on in the sixth over and accounted for Danni Wyatt, who misjudged the length of a quicker ball that skidded on and pinged the top of middle and off stump. Winfield-Hill tried to swing across Matthews’ line and was caught at midwicket by Karishma Ramharack. After 10 overs England were 57 for 2, compared to 85 for 2 in their first game and, just as captain Heather Knight was hitting her flow via back-to-back fours off Aaliyah Alleyne, it became 76 for 3 in the 13th when she was stumped off a wide delivery from Ramharack for 18 off 14.
Dunkley picked out Henry at long-off to give Matthews her second wicket and Maia Bouchier fell after a handy cameo of 24 off 14 advancing as Matthews tossed the ball up and Kycia Knight whipped off the bails. Cherry-Ann Fraser conceded just five runs off the penultimate over – England managed only 31 off the last five overs – then took a wonderful catch diving to her left at mid off to remove Katherine Brunt in the final over of the innings.
After two overs, West Indies were 21 without loss, Bell conceding 14 of them off the second. Davies entered the attack in the third over, however, and struck with her third ball when Alleyne chipped to Brunt at mid off. Having played a secondary role to her opening partner, Matthews was bowled in the next over, deceived by a well-flighted Dean delivery and West Indies were 23 for 2 inside the first four overs of their reply.
Dean then had Rashada Williams falling backwards in a heap to one that clattered into the stumps, giving her 2 for 1 from 1.4 overs. Sarah Glenn chimed in with the wicket off 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 carpark to retrieve a huge six struck by Shabika Gajnabi as Davidson-Richards conceded 12 runs of the 19th over. And Fraser powered another maximum off Bell just after she had dismissed Fletcher to claim her second wicket. But they were rare batting highlights which came too late for the home side.