Batters deliver as Molineux’s ODI era starts with thumping win

Sophie Molineux’s tenure as Australia ODI captain has started on a winning note, leading her team to an emphatic 103-run win in the opening match against West Indies in St Kitts. 

Opener Phoebe Litchfield’s 72-ball 77 led the way as Australia posted 341 all out from 49.5 overs at Warner Park, a record score in women’s one-dayers in the region, supported by a cluster of 40-plus scores including career-best contributions from Nicola Carey (49 from 39) and Molineux (47 from 66).

Former West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor anchored her team’s innings with an unbeaten 105 from 129 deliveries, but the Australian attack led by Kim Garth (3-37) ensured the hosts finished on 8-238, far adrift of their target. 

Australia made a hasty cap presentation ahead of the toss after wicketkeeper Beth Mooney failed a fitness test and was ruled out of the opening ODI with quad tightness.

Shortly after, NSW ‘keeper Tahlia Wilson was presented with ODI cap No.152 by coach Shelley Nitschke, making an international debut just four days after joining the Australian squad in St Kitts.

With just a one-day gap between the first two one-dayers, Mooney now faces a race against time to get up for Sunday’s second game.

Australia also rang the changes with co-vice-captain Tahlia McGrath among the omissions from the ODI XI that played India at the start of the month.

With Molineux winning the toss and batting, Georgia Voll (42 off 32) set the tone early, picking up where she left off in the T20Is as Australia raced to 0-70 at the end of the Powerplay, before the Queenslander picked out Aaliyah Alleyne in the deep in the 11th over, ending the 75-run opening stand.

Litchfield took longer to settle but lifted the shackles with a glorious six over mid-off in the 13th over, and after being dropped on 47, brought up her first half-century of the Caribbean tour from 50 deliveries.

She was put down again on 57 when Alleyne couldn’t hold onto a tough chance diving forward at deep mid-wicket, and again by the same fielder on 72, but the second miss proved less costly when Litchfield’s innings ended an over later, caught in the deep looking to dispatch a Hayley Matthews delivery over the long-off boundary.

Ellyse Perry was in the mood to go big, hitting three sixes in her 46-ball 44 before hitting a simple catch down the throat of mid-on, and when Ashleigh Gardner (12) was caught shortly after, Australia had lost 3-20.

The trio of wickets sapped momentum from the tourists’ innings; the run rate had been close to seven prior to Perry’s dismissal but dipped below six as Molineux and Carey looked to rebuild.

Skipper Molineux, who is still not bowling due to a back injury, had been pushed up to No.4 in place of the injured Mooney. The 28-year-old had previously batted at No.5-6 during three ODIs against New Zealand in 2020, while her other eight one-day knocks all came at No.8 or lower.

She is an experienced top-order bat for Victoria in the domestic 50-over game, however, and was joined in the middle by Carey, herself batting higher at No.6 than in any of her previous 13 one-day innings.

After a scratchy start Carey flicked the switch in the 40th over, gliding one past the ‘keeper for four, then skipped down the pitch two balls later to dispatch a Taylor delivery into the crowd, before following up with a reverse sweep for four.

A maiden international fifty went begging when the Tasmania allrounder was bowled by Afy Fletcher on 49, breaking their 91-run fifth-wicket stand.

Molineux, who rode her luck through two missed stumping chances, likewise unleashed late with a handful of boundaries, but despite posting a career-high 47 also fell shy of a first half-century.

Wareham, striding to the middle in the 45th over, found form after a lean run in the middle-order in the T20Is, dispatching the fourth ball she faced – a waist-high full toss – over the rope.

She struck back-to-back fours and another six in the 47th over to steer the Australian total over 300, then found the boundary again to set a new record score in a women’s ODI in the Caribbean, eclipsing South Africa’s 9-309 posted last year.

Wareham’s onslaught finally ended on the penultimate ball of the 49th over, as she failed to clear the fielder on the deep mid-wicket boundary to be caught on 42.

Wilson, who opens the batting for NSW was but listed down the order on Friday, was forced to wait until the 48th over to walk to the middle, and didn’t face a delivery until the first ball of the 50th.

But she made an impression with what little opportunity she was afforded, hitting 7no from the four balls she faced because Darcie Brown became the final wicket to ball.

Needing a world record chase to upset Australia, the Windies’ cause copped an early blow when garth trapped opener Qiana Joseph lbw for 12, and when Garth followed up with the key wicket of captain Hayley Matthews, the challenge became all the greater.

Gardner then got a deflection in her follow-through to see Deandra Dottin (6) run out at the non-strikers, leaving the hosts wobbling at 3-76.

Wilson collected her first international dismissal when she pouched a catch off Gardner to remove Jannillea Glasgow, then had a second when she removed Alleyne via a sharp stumping standing up to the bowling of Garth. 

Taylor’s experience and class as the fifth-most capped woman in one-dayers shone through as she brought up her eighth ODI century, and her first since 2021, from 125 deliveries.

With their next highest contribution Chinelle Henry’s 38, however, the mammoth total was far out of the West Indies’ reach, with the prolonged conclusion only serving to frustrate the Australian bowlers.

The teams will meet again at Warner Park on Sunday (5am Monday AEDT).

Qantas tour of the West Indies 2026

First T20I: Australia won by 43 runs

Second T20I: Australia won by 17 runs

Third T20I: Australia won by 40 runs (DLS method)

First ODI: Australia won by 103 runs

Second ODI: March 30, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 29, 2pm local)

Third ODI: April 3, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (April 2, 2pm local)

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Eboni Brathwaite, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Shawnisha Hector, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia Wilson

All matches to be broadcast on ESPN via Disney+ only