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Australia continued their recent dominance over the West Indies with a comprehensive 90-run victory against the Caribbean side in the second ODI of their series in St Kitts on Sunday.
A half-century from Beth Mooney (65) helped the Aussies post a decent total of 269/7 from their 50 overs, and Player of the Match Georgia Wareham (3/29) and fellow spinner Ash Gardner (3/34) each collected three wickets as the West Indies were dismissed for just 179 in reply at Warner Park. It was Australia's 15th straight victory over the West Indies in completed ODIs between the two sides, with the streak of wins dating way back to the final of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2013, when the Aussies clinched a 114-run triumph in Mumbai. With this win, Australia claimed the three-match ODI series, having won the series opener by 103 runs at the same venue on Friday, and stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath was thrilled with the efforts of her side. "We got really challenged by the West Indian spinners today as they knew how to play that wicket and we got really challenged in that middle patch," McGrath said as per the ICC website. "Moons (Mooney) batted really well, and then with the wickets in hand, we were able to launch to 270, which we were pretty happy with that total. They made a strong start (in reply)...we just tried to hold our nerve. Just tried to keep the stumps in play as much as possible. There was a bit in the wicket, and I tried to be really disciplined. Lucky we got a few breakthroughs and got through," she added. McGrath hit 24 coming in at No.6 to help the Aussies steady their innings in the middle overs, while the 30-year-old also chipped in with two valuable wickets while filling in for regular skipper Sophie Molineux (managed due to a back issue) to showcase her all-round capabilities in the 50-over format. For Australia, the series in the Caribbean is proving worthwhile preparation for this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup in England and Wales, and McGrath believes her side is keen to keep improving with every international appearance. "We're just never satisfied," she said. "We are always looking to push those ceilings, always looking to be better. "It's a really good competitive group, and we love pushing each other. There is still plenty of work to go, still plenty of areas from that game to improve on, but really happy to take the series win," she noted. (ANI)
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