PAARL, South Africa, CMC – Teenager Shemaine Campbelle snared a three-wicket haul that set up an authoritative West Indies victory over South Africa in the opening match of their three-match Twenty20 Women’s International series yesterday.
Rookie leg-spinner Campbelle combined with Stafanie Taylor and Shanel Daley to restrict the South Africans to 93 for eight off their 20 overs, and West Indies needed just 12.3 overs to achieve victory at 94 for four at Boland Park.
Beaten 2-1 in the preceding four-match One Day International (ODI) series, West Indies have now taken a vital 1-0 lead in the T20 International series.
Alicia Smith, with an unbeaten 22, and Mignon du Preez (18), were the chief scorers for the home side against a diligent West Indies bowling attack.
The 17-year-old Campbelle recorded impressive figures of three for seven off her four overs for a stifling economy rate of 1.75, while pacer Daley bagged two for 18 off three overs and off-spinner Taylor picked up two for 22 off four.
Medium-pacer Stacy-Ann King also bowled effectively in taking one for 10 off four overs to help support Campbelle, who described her performance as the best ever in her fledgling career.
“I just tried to concentrate on the job and stop them (South Africa) from getting runs. I would say it was my best day in cricket so far,” she said.
“My bowling has come on a long way and I really like the way the ball is coming out. It is spinning and I like that,” added Campbelle, the smallest member of the West Indies team at a just over five feet tall and tipping the scales at a little over 100 pounds.
Taylor and Deandra Dottin gave West Indies a rousing start with a 48-run first-wicket stand in just 3.2 overs.
Dottin cracked 26 off just 11 balls with three fours and two sixes and Taylor stroked 21 off 10 balls with three fours and one six.
West Indies lost veterans Pamela Lavine (0) and Cordel Jack (4) cheaply but captain Merissa Aguilleira (17 not out) and King (21 not out) steered them home – with 45 balls remaining – through an unbroken 40-run fifth wicket stand.
Pacer Charlize van der Westhuizen (2-27) was the chief wicket-taker for the South Africans, who will try to level the series with a victory in Game 2 on Monday.
SCOREBOARD
SOUTH AFRICA Innings
S Fritz st Aguilleira b Taylor 5
+T Chetty b Campbelle 12
K Thomson b Taylor 10
M du Preez c king b Campbelle 18
M Kapp b King 8
A Smith not out 22
A Taai b Campbelle 0
D van Niekerk b Daley 5
C van der Westhuizen b Daley 2
*S Loubser not out 3
Extras (b2, lb3, w3) 8
TOTAL (8 wickets – 20 overs) 93
Did not bat: A Kilowan
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Fritz, 1.1 overs), 2-18 (Thomson, 3.1), 3-45 (Chetty, 7.2), 4-56 (du Preez, 11.3), 5-57 (Kapp, 12.2), 6-58 (Taai, 13.2), 7-67 (van Niekerk, 16.6), 8-83 (van der Westhuizen, 18.5)
Bowling: Daley 3-0-18-2 (2w); Taylor 4-0-22-2; Lavine 1-0-9-0; Jack 2-0-15-0; Campbelle 4-1-7-3
King 4-0-10-1 (1w); Mohammed 2-0-7-0
WEST INDIES Innings
D Dottin c Thomson b van der Westhuizen 26
S Taylor c van Niekerk b Smith 21
P Lavine lbw b van der Westhuizen 0
C Jack run out (du Preez/wkp Chetty) 4
*+M Aguilleira not out 17
S King not out 21
Extras (w5) 5
TOTAL (4 wickets – 12.3 overs) 94
Did not bat: B Cooper, S Daley, S Campbelle, A Mohammed, T Smartt
Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Dottin, 3.2 overs), 2-48 (Lavine, 3.4), 3-48 (Taylor, 4.1), 4-54 (Jack, 6.6)
Bowling: Kilowan 1-0-19-0; van der Westhuizen 4-1-27-2 (1w); Smith 2-0-11-1 (2w); Fritz 2-0-18-0; Loubser 2-0-11-0; van Niekerk 1.3-0-8-0 (2w).
Result: West Indies win by six wickets
Series: West Indies lead 3-match series 1-0
Player of the match: Shemaine Campbelle (West Indies)
Toss: West Indies
Umpires: C Isaacs, I van Kerwel