SYDNEY, Australia (CMC):

West Indies women squandered an impressive run chase and succumbed to a 53 run thrashing against Australia Women in the second one-day international of the ICC Women's Championship yesterday.

An enterprising century stand for the first wicket offered promise, but the Windies efforts to surpass Australia's 256 petered out into a procession of batsmen and halted at 203 for the loss of eight wickets at Hurstville Oval.

pegged

Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight kept West Indies in the hunt with an opening stand of 115, but then the Caribbean girls were pegged by a middle-order collapse.

Matthews led with a swashbuckling knock of 89 in 108 balls, counting 12 boundaries, while Knight scored 45, picking up four fours and a six along the way.

There were contributions of 25 and 23 from Britney Cooper and Shemaine Campbelle, respecticely, but no one else got into double figures except for the 10 extras.

Matthews and Knight could not find support from the other end and the wickets fell as the West Indies scoring slowed down, tumbling from 115 for one to 185 for seven.