Taylor impresses but Windies Women fall short
Captain Stafanie Taylor missed out on a sixth oneday international hundred as West Indies Women narrowly went down by a single run to New Zealand Women, in the opening one-day international yesterday.
Asked to chase a challenging 279 at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, West Indies ended on 277 for nine off their 50 overs with Taylor carving out a top score of 90 off 93 balls.
The Caribbean side required 11 runs from the last over with Kyshona Knight and tail-ender Tremayne Smartt (5) at the crease but only managed to eke out nine, after losing Smartt and failing to get the four runs required for victory off the final delivery.
Kyshona Knight chipped in with a busy 44 off 31 deliveries, while twin sister Kycia Knight struck a patient 38 at the top order and Chedean Nation, 29.
OPENING PARTNER
Sent in earlier, the White Ferns had earlier piled up 278 for nine off their 50 overs, with veteran Sophie Devine striking 108 – her third one-day century – and opening partner and captain Suzie Bates getting 44.
It was the opening stand between Devine and Bates which put New Zealand on their way, as they added 76 to deny West Indies any early success.
Matthews got the breakthrough in her third over – the 15th of the innings – when Bates paddled swept an ordinary delivery to give Nation a simple catch, standing next to the square-leg umpire.
The Windies failed to capitalise, however, as Devine anchored two successive half-century stands to keep New Zealand on top.
In reply, Windies Women lost Matthews cheaply for 18 off 19 balls with three fours.
The right-handed Taylor, arriving at number three, then hauled her side back into the contest in an innings dotted with eight fours and a six, as she put on 57 for the second wicket with Kycia Knight and a further 64 for the third wicket with Nation.
When three wickets fell for 33 runs to leave Windies Women on 185 for five in the 39th over, a couple of small partnerships kept them in the hunt.
Taylor posted 30 off 25 balls with Aguilleira (20) for the sixth wicket before scooping a catch to short backward point off seamer Kate Ebrahim, and Aguilleira added 33 with Kyshona Knight for the seventh wicket before holing out to long on off Huddleston.