Alana King sent a message to selectors in her T20I return, claiming three wickets to lead Australia to a 43-run win over West Indies in St Vincent.
King’s 3-14 from four overs saw the hosts restricted to 6-121 chasing Australia’s 6-164 at St Vincent’s Arnos Vale Stadium, with the leg-spinner’s efforts countering a poor fielding effort that saw the tourists drop six catches – including three from King herself.
Beth Mooney (79 off 55) and Ellyse Perry (36 off 32) had earlier been the only Australian batters to reach double figures in a total of 6-164, with their seven-over post-drinks surge ensuring the West Indies would need to reel in a record T20I chase in the Caribbean.
After captain Sophie Molineux – who as expected, did not bowl in her return from a back injury – opted to bat first, Georgia Voll (8 off 10) found the boundary once before she was caught behind off the bowling of Deandra Dottin.
Phoebe Litchfield (6 off 8) followed in similarly tame fashion, spooned a simple catch to mid-off from the bowling of Jahzara Claxton.
With Australia 2-34 in the sixth over, Perry dug in alongside Mooney to reach 2-57 at the midway point of their innings.
The pair flipped the switch dramatically following the drinks break, however, piling on 84 runs from the next seven overs.
Mooney, who had been struggling for rhythm on 29 from as many deliveries after 10 overs, brought up a half-century from 42 balls.
Spinners Hayley Matthews, Afy Fletchers and Karishma Ramharack bore the brunt of the attack alongside medium-pacer Claxton, before Dottin ended their 99-run stand when she had Perry caught at long-on in the 17th over.
Mooney was caught in similar fashion an over later with the double breakthrough sapping the momentum from the Australian innings.
Ashleigh Gardner (1), Georgia Wareham (9) came and went, with only 23 runs coming from the final three overs as Australia finished on 6-164.
Qiana Joseph’s 39-ball 45 handed the West Indies a solid platform in response, aided by sloppy fielding from the Australians who put down five chances of varying difficulty.
Hayley Matthews was put down twice in the same over, on two and eight, when first King couldn’t hang onto a caught-and-bowled chance, then Tahlia McGrath put down a chance leaping to her left at wide mid-off.
But King made amends shortly after, clean bowling the West Indies captain for 11 in the seventh over to break the 33-run opening stand.
Joseph got a life on 11 when a jumping King couldn’t hold onto a high chance that sailed through her fingers for six, then a second burst through the leg-spinner’s hands to bounce just before the rope, giving Shemaine Campbelle a reprieve on eight.
After West Indies reached 1-69 at drinks, Campbelle got another let-off on 13 when Perry put down a regulation chance at long-on, and a third when Voll grassing another straightforward opportunity at mid-off.
Gardner went against the grain, holding onto a catch in the deep to end Joseph’s innings on 45, and King ensured Campbelle did little extra damage, trapping her lbw for 15.
That left the hosts 3-76 when rain briefly interrupted play in the 13th over, and then the match resumed, King immediately bowled Dottin to make it 4-76 and put Australia firmly on top.
As the required rate crept above 16, with an unlikely 81 runs needed from the final five overs, the target proved behind the reach of the Windies despite the efforts of Stafanie Taylor (28 from 25).
The teams will return to Arnos Vale Stadium on Saturday (9am Sunday AEDT) for the second T20I.
Qantas tour of the West Indies 2026
First T20I: Australia won by 43 runs
Second T20I: March 22, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 21, 6:30pm local)
Third T20I: March 24, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 23, 6:30pm local
First ODI: March 28, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 27, 2pm local)
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
