GALLE, Sri Lanka, CMC – Stafanie Taylor underlined her all-round value to the West Indies Women, driving them into the semi-finals of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup with a 10-wicket victory over South Africa Women in their final group match yesterday.
The 21-year-old Taylor struck half-dozen boundaries in 33 not out from 30 balls, becoming only the third player to pass 1,000 runs in Women’s T20Is, and Juliana Nero hit four fours and one six in 30 not out from 28 deliveries, as the Windies Women successfully chased a modest target of 71 without losing a wicket in the Group-B match at the Galle International Stadium.
All-rounder Taylor had put things in motion for the Windies Women with 3-10 from her allotted four overs and 16-year-old leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne supported with 2-14 from her four overs, as the South Africans were restricted to 70 for eight from their 20 overs.
Taylor, who has 1,005 runs at an average of 33.50 in 39 T20Is, and Nero then made batting look quite easy, as the Windies Women claimed victory with 62 deliveries remaining.
The result was formalised, when South Africa’s off-spinner Sunette Loubser brought the match to an anti-climatic finish with a wide to Taylor.
A radical decision by West Indies coach Sherwin Campbell to play five spinners paid dividends, as the South Africans crumbled to 19 for six by the halfway mark.
Taylor triggered the collapse with the scalps of opener Marizanne Kapp for three and Susan Benade for two in the space of three deliveries in her second over, after she had Trisha Chetty stumped for two in her first over.
The Windies Women met defiance, when Dane van Niekerk and Shabnim Ismail added 46 runs for the seventh wicket, to limp South Africa Women past 50.
But van Niekerk and Ismail were both run out in the final over, chasing late runs to beef up their side’s total. The semi-finals of the Women’s World T20 takes place on the same days as the men, with the Windies Women set to play in the second semi-final against the second-placed finisher in Group-A this coming Friday at the Premadasa Stadium in the Sri Lanka capital of Colombo.
Reigning champions Australia face arch-rivals England in their last Group-A match on Monday to decide the final positions and who will play where in the semi-finals.
