WEST INDIES’ women cricketers are on Cloud 9.
The regional girls completed a ninth successive victory over South Africa in the Twenty20 format with an efficient six-wicket win at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia yesterday.
A varied spin attack limited the visitors to a modest 94 for six before West Indies, without the ill Stefanie Taylor and injured Kycia Knight, calmly chased down the target in 17.2 overs to complete a 2-0 series win.
The victory was a fitting climax to their preparation ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup in India starting at the end of the month.
“We’ve been improving. The girls really like the T20 game. We came out here and did our job,” said vice-captain Taylor.
“There is always room for improvement but the girls played well over the weekend.”
West Indies opted to field on winning the toss and South Africa never got the measure of their attack in which left-arm spinner Shanel Daley, off-spinner Anisa Mohammed and leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne were the standouts.
Daley, the daughter of former Jamaica fast-medium bowler Aaron Daley, used the new ball with telling effect to claim three for 22 from four overs. She removed both openers lbw and also took a return catch to account for topscorer Mignon du Preez (26).
Mohammed was wicketless but gave up only 13 runs in her four overs and also showed her brilliance with a pick-up and throw that effected the run out of Marizanne Kapp, who threatened briefly by smashing two fours off six balls.
Quintyne, the third spinner in the attack, also maintained the pressure on South Africa by taking one wicket for 16 runs from four overs.
West Indies lost Juliana Nero to the second ball of the innings when she was bowled by Kapp.
It was the first of three wickets for Kapp, who hardly bowled a bad ball in four overs that went for three runs, but the hosts were put on course for victory by a measured third-wicket partnership of 56 in 57 balls between Shemaine Campbelle (33 off 28 balls) and Natasha McLean (23 off 40 balls).
Both were dismissed within five runs of each other but there were no further alarms for West Indies.
The match preceded the Caribbean Twenty20 men’s final between two-time defending champions Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. (HG)
