Schutt takes hat-trick as Australia secure 3-0 series victory over West Indies
With the win in the third and final ODI at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Wednesday, 12 September, Australia completed a series sweep, at the same venue where they lifted the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup trophy.
Meg Lanning, who missed the second game of the series due to back spasms, returned to lead the Australia side replacing Erin Burns. West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor won the toss and elected to bat, but her side were quickly in a spot of bother as Ellyse Perry took her 150th ODI wicket, having Reniece Boyce caught behind.
Runs were hard to come by as Lanning rotated the bowlers at her disposal. It wasn’t until the 16th over that the second wicket fell as Britney Cooper picked out Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham taking the wicket.
West Indies then lost four more wickets for 62 runs as Wareham took a second in-between Ashleigh Gardner picking up two wickets, while Jess Jonassen removed Kyshona Knight, who top-scored for West Indies with 40.
Sheneta Grimmond and Chinelle Henry combined for the highest partnership of the innings, adding 64 runs before the latter was bowled, giving Jonassen her second wicket of the day. At the time, her figures read 2/6 from five overs.
WICKET! Another one goes the way of the spinners! Jess Jonassen picks up a second scalp for the day, clean bowling Grimmond for a handy 34.
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) September 11, 2019
Windies 7-168 (46.2), watch LIVE: https://t.co/wMupsMBz2X #WIvAUS pic.twitter.com/d3b0NRskoz
Megan Schutt then became the 11th woman to take an ODI hat-trick as she bowled Henry for 39, had Karishma Ramharack caught at long-on and, with the final ball of the innings, bowled Afy Fletcher, leaving Australia needing 181 to complete a clean sweep of the series.
Openers Alyssa Healy and Rachel Haynes got Australia off to an absolute flyer, Healy very much playing the role of the aggressor as she smashed her ninth ODI half-century from just 27 balls, with 10 fours and a six. When the opener was dismissed for 61, Australia already had 71 runs on the board with Haynes just 3*.
Haynes fell with the score on 97, caught by Henry off the bowling of Fletcher, but captain Lanning ensured her side did not wobble and reached her own fifty from 59 balls.
Lanning ended 58* and Perry finished on an unbeaten 33* as Australia romped home by eight wickets.
The tour now moves onto the T20I section with the first game on Sunday in Bridgetown.