ROSEAU – World-class all-rounder Stafanie Taylor proved her worth in gold to fire West Indies women to an all important eight-wicket win over South Africa and keep the hosts alive in their five-match One-Day International series yesterday.
Playing at Windsor Park, the 21-year-old Jamaican snatched four for 22 with her off spin to help limit South Africa to 120 all out off 47.1 overs, and then returned to stroke a superb 71 to guide West Indies to their target off 29.2 overs.
The victory was a crucial one for West Indies who had lost the double-header in St Kitts earlier in the week and needed a positive result to avoid losing the series with two matches to spare.
Sent in to bat, South Africa were never up to the task and only captain Mignon de Preez with 20 showed any enterprise.
Taylor was supported by teenaged leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne who bowled brilliantly to finish with four for 14.
Left-arm seamer Shanel Daley sent back opener Trisha Chetty early, bowled for three in the fourth over with the score on five, but du Preez and Shandre Fritz (15) put on 36 for the second wicket to restore order to the innings.
After Fritz became Taylor’s first wicket in the 14th over, South Africa collapsed to lose their last nine wickets for 79 runs.
Quintyne was at the heart of the South African demise, claiming her first two wickets off the fourth and fifth deliveries of her first over, the 24th of the innings, to set up a hat-trick which was averted.
Taylor then spearheaded the Windies reply, adding 75 for the first wicket with Kycia Knight (24) to lay the foundation for an easy triumph.
The right-handed Taylor, with scores of 0 and 29 in St Kitts, found her touch when it mattered most, stroking eight fours in an innings that lasted 98 balls.
When Knight fell after facing 54 balls, Taylor saw West Indies to the brink of victory in a 36-run, second-wicket stand with Shemaine Campbelle, who was 17 not out at the end.
The fourth ODI is scheduled for today at the same venue. (CMC)
