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Alana King has spun Australia to a commanding nine-wicket victory over West Indies as the tourists completed an ODI series sweep in St Kitts.
The leg-spinner ripped through the hosts with a stunning spell of 5 for 19 from 10 overs as the West Indies collapsed after a bright start to be bundled out for 136 in the third and final ODI in the series.
Australia raced to their target inside 20 overs as opener Phoebe Litchfield (68 not out from 56) and veteran Ellyse Perry (33 not out) steered them home.
King claimed her second-best figures in women’s one-day internationals in the crushing win over West Indies, after she claimed 7 for 18 at the World Cup last year.
The 32-year-old leaves the Caribbean with 11 wickets across six white-ball matches after returning to the T20 team in style with five scalps from three games in the shorter format.
“We were just very clinical, we nailed our lengths, we really owned that,” King said.
“For me to reap the rewards was great, but I think the whole bowling unit really did an incredible job and held a very destructive West Indian side to about 140 [135], which was very pleasing.
Hayley Matthews won the toss and elected to bat first before the West Indies captain and fellow opener Deandra Dottin (22) put on 38 for the first wicket.
The West Indies top-order had their side back in a promising position when Australia’s stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath turned to King as the fifth bowler in the lineup.
King soon had Matthews caught for 34 when the opener failed to pick up the extra bounce and sliced a drive to Georgia Voll in cover.
Young allrounder Jannillea Glasgow fell two balls later for a duck when Georgia Wareham hung on to a diving catch to leave West Indies reeling at 78 for five.
Chinelle Henry (40 not out) and Realeanna Grimmond (20) helped carry the hosts toward a more respectable score before King struck again.
The spinner completed her third five-wicket haul in ODIs as Afy Fletcher was caught at slip and Karishma Ramharack picked out Voll at long-on, while off-spinner Ash Gardner (2 for 29) helped finish off the tail.
Australia’s opening pair set off to chase down the target in quick time before Voll (23) holed out in the deep off the bowling of Ashmini Munisar.
But with 50 runs by then knocked off the target inside nine overs, the result was hardly in doubt, and Perry immediately picked up the pace alongside Litchfield to ensure the tourists cruised to a sixth win from as many white-ball matches on the tour.
Australia now turn their attention to the T20 World Cup in England in June, with three T20s to come against South Africa ahead of the tournament.
