ODI milestone for Stafanie Taylor
CAPTAIN STAFANIE Taylor carved out her seventh One-Day International (ODI) hundred and surpassed 5,000 runs in the format as West Indies Women completed a clean sweep of their three-match series against Pakistan Women with a six-wicket victory yesterday.
Chasing a target of 226 at the National Stadium, West Indies recovered from a precarious position of 15 for three in the fifth over to get over the line with six overs remaining.
Player of the Match Taylor stroked an unbeaten 102 off 117 deliveries with a dozen fours to notch her second hundred of the year, after her unbeaten 105 also against Pakistan Women five months ago in the Caribbean.
Chedean Nation hammered 51 not out off 67 balls with seven fours to record her maiden ODI half-century, while vice-captain Hayley Matthews totalled 49 off 58 deliveries with eight fours, to sustain her excellent form and clinch the Player of the Series honours.
“I think this is huge, seeing we were coming off a defeat against South Africa [in our last series] and to actually come here and win three-nil,” Taylor said afterwards.
“I think we haven’t done that in a while, and it’s really nice that we get to do that and get ourselves match-ready going into the [World Cup] qualifiers.”
Muneeba Ali had earlier top-scored with 58 off 88 deliveries, while Aliya Riaz hit an unbeaten 44 from 57 balls as Pakistan Women gathered 225 for seven off their 50 overs after being sent in.
The left-handed Muneeba counted eight fours in her maiden ODI 50, putting on 49 for the first wicket with Ayesha Zafar (13) and a further 74 for the second wicket, first with captain Javeria Khan (13) and then with Omaima Sohail (27).
Javeria retired hurt at the end of the 19th over with the score on 78, but failed to add on her return in the 31st over, facing three more deliveries before being run out in the 33rd over.
She was one of three wickets to tumble for eight runs off 15 balls to leave the hosts on 131 for four. But Aliya Riaz, who hit three fours and a six, then added 44 for the fifth wicket with Iram Javed (26), and 40 for the seventh with Diana Baig (9) to rally her side past the 200-run mark.
New-ball seamers Shakera Selman (2-40) and Aaliyah Alleyne (2-41).
DIFFICULT START
West Indies Women endured a difficult start, losing the in-form Deandra Dottin for four from the fifth ball of the run chase, lbw to left-arm spinner Anam Amin (2-45), before her partner Rashada Williams followed in the fourth over for six, caught at the wicket off pacer Diana Baig.
And when Shemaine Campbelle perished for one in the fifth over, lbw to Anam Amin, the innings was teetering on the brink.
However, the right-handed Taylor took command of the run chase, posting 83 for the fourth wicket with Matthews before putting on a further 128 in an unbroken fifth- wicket stand with Nation.
Taylor’s knock was a measured one, reaching her half-century off 72 balls with a boundary in the 30th over off seamer Omaima Sohail, before raising three figures off 113 deliveries in the 43rd over from left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, also with a boundary.
West Indies Women will now travel to Zimbabwe to compete in the ICC World Cup qualifiers from November 21 to December 5.