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Taylor the toast as West Indies crush Kiwis to win series

Before the start of the series between the West Indies Women and their New Zealand counterparts at Sabina Park, Jamaican cricket fans had never been given the opportunity to see the team play nor had they gotten a glimpse of the home grown talent Staphanie Taylor, one of the best in the game.

Before the start of the series between the West Indies Women and their New Zealand counterparts at Sabina Park, Jamaican cricket fans had never been given the opportunity to see the team play nor had they gotten a glimpse of the home grown talent Staphanie Taylor, one of the best in the game.

 

After two inauspicious performances with the bat, and with the series tied at 1-1 going into the final game of the three match ODI series, the stage was perfectly set for Taylor.  At Sabina Park on Thursday October 11th, she showed why she is one of the most feared player’s in the women’s game.

 

Striding to the wicket with the West Indies at 8/1 in just the second over, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, the right hand batter with four centuries under her belt, batted with purpose from the outset.

 

She set about repairing the early damage with opener Kycia Knight as the two patiently batted the West Indies out of trouble and into a position of strength. By the time Knight went for 29 at 83 for 2 in the 24th over, Taylor was already within touching distance of her first 50 on local soil. The partnership between the pair had yielded 75 runs and this would prove the highest of the game.

 

Taylor brought up her fifty soon after, getting to the milestone off 73 deliveries, when she cut through square for 4 and then punched the air in celebration. Her first fifty had been careful and somewhat painstaking as she batted responsibly, something required under the circumstances. The West Indies reached 100 for 2 shortly after.

 

Upon reaching fifty Taylor set about running the Kiwis ragged in the Kingston heat, finding gaps all over the field. It was the Staphanie Taylor show as she found useful partners in Deandra Dottin and skipper Merissa Aguilleira while she piled on the runs scoring her second fifty off just fifty five deliveries. Her celebrations on reaching her first century in Jamaica and fifth in her career said it all. The fans cheered loudly for their local hero as they showed their appreciation for a real good innings from her.

 

The West Indies score was 181 for 4 when she brought up her century in the 44th over and from then on there was a push for runs. The West Indies scored heavily in the latter part of the innings with the 47th over going for 15 runs, fourteen of which was scored by Taylor who hit a six and a four off consecutive deliveries off the luckless Mackay. The six was hit straight over long on and the four was a masterful pull backward of square after going down on one knee, much to the delight of the fans which included a group of screaming children from St Theresa Prep School.

 

The West Indies innings closed at 238/6 from their 50 overs, with Taylor unbeaten on 135.

 

The New Zealand innings got off to the worst possible start when their captain and best batter, Suzie Bates who is rated number one in the world, was run out off just the second delivery of the innings. Things never got better for the visitors and when rain stopped play after 10 overs with the score board reading 36/3 there would have been serious cause for concern in the New Zealand changing room.

 

When play resumed, it was the same player who starred with the bat that starred with the ball as Taylor returned to capture 4 for 36. The Kiwis crashed to 143 all out in the 43rd over as the West Indies won by 95 runs.

 

Taylor was undoubtedly named player of the match and also player of the series.

 

West Indies captain, Aguilleira, said after the game, “To win the series is an amazing feeling as it is the first time that we are doing so against New Zealand, who are one of the top teams in women’s cricket.

 

“It was not easy, as after the first game defeat, we had to look into ourselves deeply and see what we were doing wrong. But the girls responded brilliantly in the second game, and today again remained on the ball, which allowed us to pull through.”

 

Taylor explained that century was for the fans – “from the first game they were asking me to get a century and I didn’t get many runs in the first two games so I really wanted to do it today and I am happy that I did. To score a century at home is unbelievable!”

 

The two teams will now turn their attention to a Tri-Nation,T-20 series which includes England. This begins next week.

 

Photo: Staphanie Taylor celebrates her first century at Sabina Park

 

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