England withstand Matthews brilliance to claim T20 clean sweep

Third T20, Chelmsford

England 144-5 (20 overs): Knight 66* (47); Matthews 3-32

West Indies 127-8 (20 overs): Matthews 71 (54); Bell 2-11

England won by 17 runs; triumph bid 3-0

Scorecard

England withstood all-rounder Hayley Matthews' brilliance to triumph nan 3rd and last T20 by 17 runs and complete a ascendant bid cleanable expanse successful Charlotte Edwards and Nat Sciver-Brunt's first bid successful charge.

Matthews was playing a lone manus successful West Indies' pursuit of 145 for a consolation triumph astatine Chelmsford, but a rainfall hold pinch 48 runs required from nan past 26 balls disrupted nan chase.

They slipped from 109-3 to 127-8, pinch Lauren Bell claiming nan game-changing wicket of Matthews for a sublime 71 from 54 balls successful nan 18th over.

Bell vanished an exceptional spell pinch figures of 2-11 while location were besides 2 wickets each for chap speedy Em Arlott and spinners Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean.

Matthews claimed 3-32 successful England's 144-5, starring West Indies' much-improved bowling performance, but erstwhile skipper Heather Knight's unbeaten 66 from 47 balls ensured England conscionable had capable runs connected nan board.

After Danni Wyatt-Hodge was bowled from nan first shot of nan innings by Zaida James' rotation for nan 2nd lucifer successful a statement and Sophia Dunkley was caught down disconnected Matthews for three, Knight and caller skipper Sciver-Brunt rebuilt nan innings from a stuttering powerplay of 24-2.

The knowledgeable brace added 48 for nan 3rd wicket earlier Sciver-Brunt fell for 37, and Knight added a further 42 pinch wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who made a quickfire 22.

A three-match one-day world bid originates successful Derby connected Friday, but England will beryllium waiting connected Knight's fittingness aft she could not return nan section successful nan 2nd innings because of a hamstring problem suffered during her knock.

There was plentifulness of chat and dream that losing nan England captaincy would let Knight much state arsenic a batter, and successful her first 2 knocks since, that has already travel to fruition.

She made 43 not retired successful nan first T20 astatine Canterbury, and was not required to bat successful nan second, earlier finishing powerfully by reaching her first world T20 half-century connected location ungraded from 38 balls.

West Indies were rewarded for a overmuch much accordant bowling effort, sticking to a elemental scheme of keeping nan stumps successful play and squeezing England's batters arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable pinch a small thief from a aboveground which aided their spin-heavy attack.

It meant that Knight had to activity done nan gears, focusing connected rotating nan onslaught and picking nan gaps successful her business pinch Sciver-Brunt which came aft England posted their second-lowest T20 powerplay people erstwhile batting first astatine home, pinch only 2 boundaries struck successful nan opening six overs.

After Sciver-Brunt was caught connected nan bound astatine nan extremity of nan 11th over, Jones' counter-attacking sound took nan unit disconnected during nan the mediate overs which allowed Knight to show much versatility, striking 1 tremendous six complete mid-wicket and producing an array of cheeky ramps and paddles disconnected nan spinners.

Her wounded will beryllium a interest arsenic she struggled to tally betwixt nan wickets successful nan last mates of overs, but it has been a highly promising return to nan batting ranks.

There are questions surrounding Wyatt-Hodge's form, however, pinch 17 runs successful 3 innings having already been dropped from nan ODI squad for this series. The opener's 22 ducks are nan astir successful men's and women's T20 internationals, and 11 of them person travel first ball.

The truth that Matthews was named subordinate of nan bid and claimed 2 subordinate of nan lucifer awards, and yet her broadside was incapable to triumph a azygous game, perfectly summarises some her magnificent talent but nan team's unsustainable reliance upon her.

Across nan series, she has scored 177 runs successful 3 innings including an unbeaten period successful nan first match, pinch Shabika Gajnabi's tally of 47 their adjacent highest.

At Chelmsford, it was besides nan first clip a subordinate had scored 70+ runs and taken 3 aliases much wickets successful a losing origin successful women's T20 internationals.

She struck 11 fours and a six successful her knock, sweeping nan spinners smartly and regularly unveiling her characteristic lofted drives complete screen which had England connected nan brink erstwhile nan equation came down to 49 from 30 balls .

England's fielding woes started to creep successful nether unit again, pinch Sciver-Brunt and Dean dropping Realeanna Grimmond from consecutive balls disconnected nan latter's ain bowling successful nan 11th over.

But nan rainfall hold worked successful England's favour. They were 9 runs up connected Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) erstwhile nan players near nan section anyway, but a 4 from Matthews and a good consecutive six from Gajnabi gave West Indies a boost.

But Smith fought backmost pinch 2 wickets successful 2 balls, including Gajnabi, and Matthews deed Bell's slower shot to long-on successful nan pursuing complete to all-but seal England's win.

West Indies' deficiency of batting extent came to nan fore erstwhile again and their hopes successful nan longer format look bleak unless Matthews continues to activity miracles.

England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, speaking to Sky Sports: "We played immoderate superb cricket complete this T20 series. We didn't person nan cleanable crippled coming but we group nan standards very precocious successful nan first 2 games of nan series.

"With nan measurement we started our innings, to get up to that people was really competitive. West Indies made it very difficult for us. Heather [Knight] batting for illustration that was cleanable to get america to a competitory total."

Player of nan lucifer and subordinate of nan series, Hayley Matthews, connected Sky Sports: "It was really bully to beryllium capable to spell retired location and people immoderate runs and return immoderate wickets. It was decidedly a person crippled coming and 1 we felt for illustration we competed in. We'd person loved to get complete nan line.

"I'm really happy and ace proud of nan younger players who person travel in."

World Cup victor Ebony Rainford-Brent connected BBC Test Match Special: "England will look astatine their batting and deliberation they should've scored different 20 runs and they possibly should've forced wickets more.

"They'll bespeak connected needing to beryllium a spot sharper and much ruthless."