After four encounters across two venues, the fiercely contested One-Day International series between West Indies women and their England counterparts enters the decisive fifth game today at Sabina Park in Kingston.

First ball is scheduled to be bowled at 9:30 am, and the stage is set for a humdinger.

Since the opening game a week and a half ago, the series has swung this way and that.

England Women edged the first One-Day International at Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium by five runs, but West Indies rebounded with a 38-run win at the same venue in game two. Both those games were low-scoring battles of attrition on a slow and low surface.

The series then shifted from Jamaica’s north coast to the eastern end of the island in Kingston where the battle intensified with ICC championship points up for grabs.

On a Sabina Park pitch with significantly more bounce and that has offered a more even contest between bat and ball, England drew first blood. They scored an emphatic 112-run win after batting first and rattling up 220.

But West Indies, for the second time in the series, displayed admirable resolve to pull level in game four on Sunday. England, seemingly coasting at 133-1 in search of 224 for the win, were stunningly bowled out for 181 in a 42-run defeat.

And while both teams have been guilty of numerous dropped chances and dramatic batting collapses over the four games, England’s capitulation on Sunday might have left the greatest psychological scar.

The team was guilty of putting down four chances, in addition to a stumping opportunity missed by wicketkeeper Amy Jones. The batting implosion in the latter stages of the run-chase completed a miserable outing for the visitors.

For England, opener Lauren Winfield has notched two half -centuries, while her partner Tammy Beaumont made a delightful 57 in the last game. Pacer Katherine Brunt and left-arm spinner Alex Hartley have been good with the ball.

West Indies Captain Stafanie Taylor has been almost a lone star with the bat for the regional side with a pair of half-centuries. Her knock of 84 in Sunday’s game — despite a right hamstring concern — was particularly sublime. Medium pacer Deandra Dottin, who has had good support from the slow bowlers, has been a menace with the ball.

Though claiming her team threw the West Indies a lifeline, England Captain Heather Knight said that 2-2 was perhaps a good indication of how the series has gone.

“For 90 per cent of that game we played brilliant cricket, but we’ve thrown the West Indies a chance and they’ve taken it. We’re going to have to look long and hard at ourselves,” she said.

“There’s been some really good cricket played so far, 2-2 is probably fair going into the final game,” Knight added.

Obviously boosted going into the final, Taylor said her team always knew they were in Sunday’s game once they could dismiss the openers.

“I wasn’t nervous, they actually got a brilliant start that the openers gave them but we just needed a breakthrough,” Taylor insisted.

Of the five ODIs, only this game and the previous two count toward qualification to the ICC Women’s World Cup to be contested between the top eight international teams. The top four sides on points will earn automatic places to the 2017 edition of the tournament to be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Australia, top of the championship table on 30 points, are already qualified to the women’s tournament. West Indies are second with 22 points, while England are a point behind in third. Fourth-placed New Zealand have 20 points.