NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC) — An uninspired West Indies Women failed to come to grips with a demanding run chase and slumped to a meek 50-run defeat to South Africa Women here yesterday, and fall behind in the three-match series.

Asked to score at nearly 8½ runs per over to overhaul a challenging 166 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, the hosts crashed from 54 for two to 115 for eight off their 20 overs, to come up short in the second Twenty20 International.

Chedean Nation and Britney Cooper both got 26 but they were the only ones to pass 20 as fast bowler Marizanne Kapp snatched three for 31 and seamer Ayabonga Khaka (2-8) and left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (2-22) two wickets apiece, to cripple the innings.

The opening game on Tuesday was abandoned as a no-result following rain.

Sent in earlier, South Africa rattled up 165 for three off their 20 overs, thanks to opener Lizelle Lee’s polished 75 off 52 deliveries.

Laura Wolvaardt entertained with a nine-ball 33 not out while Marizanne Kapp (24) and Captain Dane van Niekerk (23) produced supporting knocks.

Lee laid the platform, smashing half-dozen fours and a six as she put on 53 with van Niekerk for the first wicket and 69 with Kapp for the second.

Off-spinner Hayley Matthews struck twice to remove both Lee and Kapp in the 18th over to reduce the South Africans to 126 for three but Wolvaardt spoiled the home side’s hopes of a strong finish, crunching a four and four sixes in a 39-run unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Tazmin Brits (5 not out).

In reply, Matthews perished cheaply for 12 in the third over to Kapp (3-31) but West Indies Women were rebuilding when they reached 39 without further loss.

However, big-hitter Deandra Dottin, who struck four fours in 19 of 18 balls, missed an ill-advised reverse sweep and was bowled off-stump by Mlaba in the sixth over and Kyshona Knight followed in the tenth over, missing a heave and having her stumps shattered by the same bowler.

West Indies Women were encouraged when Nation and Kycia Knight (10) added 22 for the fourth but Kapp’s return resulted in Kycia’s dismissal, the left-hander bowled trying to hit across the line in the 14th over.

Nation, without a boundary in her 29-ball knock, missed a frustrated heave and was bowled by Kapp in the 16th over while Cooper sparkled briefly with three fours and a six off 15 balls before she too was bowled, backing away trying to hit Khaka through the off-side.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN

L Lee b Matthews 75

*D van Niekerk c Matthews b Joseph 23

M Kapp c Cooper b Matthews 24

L Wolvaardt not out 33

T Brits not out 5

Extras (lb2, w3) 5

TOTAL (3 wkts, 20 overs) 165

Did not bat: +T Chetty, N Mlaba, S Luus, M Klaas, A Khaka, C Tryon

Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-122, 3-126.

Bowling: Connell 3-0-24-0, Alleyne 3-0-25-0, Joseph 4-0-17-1, Selman 3-0-27-0, Mohammed 4-0-27-0, Matthews 4-0-27-0.

WEST INDIES WOMEN

D Dottin b Mlaba 19

H Matthews c Luus b Kapp 12

Kyshona Knight b Mlaba 13

C Nation b Kapp 26

+Kycia Knight b Kapp 10

B Cooper b Khaka 26

A Alleyne c Luus b Klaas 2

Q Joseph not out 2

S Connell b Khaka 0

*A Mohammed not out 1

Extras (lb2, w2) 4

TOTAL (8 wkts, 20 overs) 115

Did not bat: Shakera Selman

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-39, 3-54, 4-76, 5-91, 6-110, 7-112, 8-114.

Bowling: Kapp 4-0-31-3, Khaka 4-0-8-2, Klaas 4-0-24-1, Mlaba 4-0-22-2, van Niekerk 4-0-28-0.

Result: South Africa Women won by 50 runs.

Series: South Africa Women lead three-match series 1-0.

Toss: West Indies Women.

Umpires: Danesh Ramdhanie, Jonathan Blade

TV umire: Jacqueline Williams