England picked up a comfortable eight-wicket win over West Indies in the inaugural Twenty20 in Antigua.
The hosts limped 105-7 from their 20 overs after a fine all-bowling performance from England.
Seamer Lauren Bell played with 3-26 and spinner Sophie Ecclestone conceded just six runs from four overs.
Fly-half Danni Wyatt hit an unbeaten 59 from 34 balls as England hit their mark with 7.2 overs to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the five-game series.
England continued to dominate the West Indies on this white ball tour, having finished a clean sweep of the One-Day International Series 3-0 on Friday.
West Indies batters struggled throughout the 50-plus encounters and the trend continued in the shorter format, with Rashada Williams 23 and Chinelle Henry 21 the only notable contributions.
Wyatt then took control of the chase, backed up by opening partner Sophia Dunkley’s 25, and capitalized on a few loose pins from a deflated West Indies attack.
The second T20 takes place on Wednesday at 22:00 GMT in Barbados.
Bell continues to impress
Bell’s introduction to international cricket was rather inconsistent, as you’d expect from a fast young bowler, with moments of brilliance combined with a lack of control.
But a devastating 4-33 spell in the second ODI showed her potential with the new ball and she backed it up with a fine performance in just her third T20.
Aaliyah Alleyne was beaten for two in her opener as Bell gave England the perfect start.
The tall, fast bowler completed Ecclestone’s left arm rotation perfectly as the batters were unable to set up, and with Nat Sciver, Heather Knight and Katherine Brunt participating with one wicket each, the West Indies simply had no answer consistency and variation.
When Shemaine Campbelle finished midway through Bell’s third they had slipped to 60-6 and it was only thanks to a few late strikes from Henry that they were able to break through the 100 mark.
With Issy Wong and Freya Davies on the sidelines, England appear very well equipped in the bowling department, which is going to be crucial as the coaches continue to manage the workload of Brunt and Sciver.
Wyatt shows his class
It is not surprising that England were able to breathe confidence after three crushing victories, and equally surprising that the West Indies lacked it.
Wyatt’s innings reflected that, playing with swagger and scoring all around the floor.
She had to wait until halfway through the third to face her first ball as West Indies started positively, putting her away from the strike, but she was determined to make it count when she got there.
And after Dunkley was frustratingly exhausted in the fifth, Wyatt took charge in a 45-man stand with Lauren Winfield-Hill, who was playing her first T20 for England since February 2020.
Winfield-Hill’s recall, after impressive domestic performances over the summer, is symbolic of England’s rise from depth, a key factor in the level gap between these two sides.
This depth also allowed England to recall captain Heather Knight after resting her for the final ODI, despite not being required with bat, and the best wicket taker of all times, Brunt, played for the first time on the tour to bolster the bowling offense.
West Indies’ reliance on skipper Hayley Matthews is becoming a growing concern, as a meltdown inevitably ensues almost every time she is fired early. But for England, we are convinced that if Wyatt or Dunkley do not attack first, someone else will certainly.
