POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa, CMC – Teenagers Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin fashioned contrasting half-centuries as West Indies hammered Ireland by a mammoth 165 runs, to post their second successive win of the ICC Women’s Challenge yesterday.
Taylor scored a measured 72 from 94 balls while Dottin stroked a cameo 72 from 59 balls to get West Indies up to 275 for six off their allotted 50 overs, after they won the toss and batted first at the North-West University Ground.
Left-armer Shanel Daley then snatched four for 29 while off-spinner Anisa Mohammed claimed three for 13, to send Ireland tumbling for a paltry 110 all out off 41 overs.
As they did in Wednesday’s opening 148-run win over the Netherlands, the 19-year-old Taylor and Dottin both shone again with superb knocks.
The Jamaican Taylor, who stroked a magnificent 147 against the Dutch, hit six fours in another mature innings which provided the foundation for the Windies women’s total.
She shared an opening stand of 63 off 69 balls with Juliana Nero whose 29 came from 32 balls and included five fours.
Nero was trapped lbw to leg-spinner Ciara Metcalfe in the 12th over and Cordel Jack (3) departed six balls later to a catch at the wicket off off-spinner Eimear Richardson, to leave the Windies in a spot of bother at 66 for two
However, Taylor and captain Merissa Aguilleira added a crucial 95 for the third wicket to revive the innings, with the right-handed Trinidadian scoring 44 from 62 balls with three fours and a six.
West Indies suffered another setback when both batsmen fell to successive deliveries at the start of the 33rd over to leave the score on 161 for four, but Dottin orchestrated two strong partnerships to put the innings back on course.
The aggressive Barbadian right-hander, who counted five fours and a six in her knock, put on 45 off 44 balls for the fifth wicket with Stacy-Ann King (19) and a further 66 off 60 balls for the sixth wicket with Shemaine Campbelle (17 not out).
Dottin was the last wicket to fall, bowled by medium pacer Laura Delaney with two balls left in the innings.
In reply, Ireland got a strong but slow start as their openers Cecelia Joyce (36) and Clare Shillington (22) added 66 from 102 balls.
Once Shillington was bowled by Daley at the end of the 17th over, however, the innings folded quickly, as eight wickets tumbled for the addition of just 17 runs, to leave the Irish tottering at 83 for eight in the 30th.
Taylor, bowling her off-breaks, provided support for Daley and Mohammed by claiming two for 15 from 10 miserly overs, to land her second straight Player-of-the-Match award.
West Indies will face a sterner test when they take on Sri Lanka tomorrow after a break in the tournament today.