Leg-spinner’s five-wicket haul paves way for comfortable nine-wicket win to round out series whitewash

Alana King has spun through West Indies to help Australia secure an ODI series clean sweep with a thumping nine-wicket win in St Kitts.

King’s remarkable spell of 5-19 from 10 overs saw Australia dismantle the hosts for 136 in just 35.4 overs after West Indies captain Hayley Matthews opted to bat first at Warner Park.

Australia lost the in-form Georgia Voll for 23 on their way to their target, but there was no stopping Phoebe Litchfield (68no from 56) and Ellyse Perry (33no from 40) with Australia reeling in their target with 30.2 overs to spare as the sun set over St Kitts.

Phoebe Litchfield raises the bat for another half-century // Sam Gosling, CA

King’s figures were the second best of her career behind the 7-18 she captured during last year’s ODI World Cup in India and capped off a strong Caribbean sojourn for the leg-spinner, who took 12 wickets across three T20Is and three one-dayers.

Australia meanwhile take home the maximum six ICC Women’s ODI Championship points on offer, in a strong start to their bid to win the Championship plate for a fourth consecutive time.

Earlier, Tahlia McGrath strode out to the coin toss as stand-in Aussie captain, with medical staff opting to take the cautious route with usual skipper Sophie Molineux.

Molineux played as a specialist batter through the first four matches of the tour due to a back injury, in order to gain valuable leadership experience having taken over from Alyssa Healy, but has now turned her attention to a return to bowling and full fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.   

Put into the field for the first time on the six-game Caribbean tour, Australia opted for a next-generation frontline pace attack as Darcie Brown took the new ball alongside second-gamer Lucy Hamilton.

The 19-year-old Queenslander procured the first breakthrough, as Deandra Dottin – elevated to open in place of Qiana Joseph – was caught by Litchfield at slip for 22.

Nicola Carey chimed in to dismiss debutant wicketkeeper-batter Shunelle Sawh for three, and the introduction of spin saw Ashleigh Gardner secure the key  wicket of Stafanie Taylor (5) leaving the West Indies 3-58 after 13.2 overs when rain briefly interrupted proceedings.

When play resumed, King took the ball and control of the match as the Windies lost 7-58.

Her first over went for just two runs, and with her ninth delivery she secured the prized wicket of Hayley Matthews, who sliced a shorter delivery directly to Voll at point to depart for 34.

King got a second two deliveries later, as Georgia Wareham took a brilliant diving one-handed grab on the inner ring to remove Jannillea Glasgow without scoring.

With Wareham bowling from the other end, Australia’s leggies strangled the West Indian batters.

Realeanna Grimmond provided some resistance in her 31-ball 20 before holing out to give King a third, and an over later, Litchfield’s athletic work leaping high at first slip gave her a fourth as the West Indies slipped to 8-121.

King and Voll combined again as the leg-spinner secured her third five-wicket haul in ODIs, with Voll holding onto her fourth chance of the innings as Karishma Ramharack holed out without scoring. The catch meant Voll became the first Australian since Zoe Goss, back in February 1996, to take four in a WODI innings.

After some momentary 10th wicket resistance, it was Gardner who bowled Ashmini Munisar to pick up her second and wrap up the West Indies innings for 136, leaving a frustrated Chinelle Henry unbeaten on 42.

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: Australia won by 90 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by nine wickets

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Realeanna Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Qiana Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Shunelle Sawh, 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