SYDNEY, Australia – Stylish right-hander Stafanie Taylor narrowly missed out on her sixth One-Day International hundred when she carved out a brilliant 95, but West Indies Women could not capitalise and went down by three wickets to Australia Women in the opening game of the ICC Women’s Championship here yesterday.
Sent in at Hurstville Oval, West Indies rallied to 240 for eight off their 50 overs, with Player-of-the-Match Taylor leading the way in an innings that required 102 balls and including 12 boundaries.
Sixteen-year-old Barbadian Hayley Matthews chipped in with 55 on debut while free-scoring Deandra Dottin scored 24.
West Indies looked good bets to get well beyond their eventual score when they cruised at 201 for two in the 40th over. However, once Taylor perished in the 40th over, the West Indies innings fell away badly as the Caribbean side lost six wickets for 27 runs off just 55 balls.
Off-spinner Erin Osborne was the best bowler with three for 43 while leg-spinner Kristen Beams supported with two for 32.
In reply, the hosts coasted to their target with three balls left, with captain Meg Lanning missing out on a century with 95 while Nicole Bolton (59) and Ellyse Perry (53) supported with half-centuries.
Left-armer Shanel Daley picked up two for 38, off-spinner Anisa Mohammed took two for 39 while Taylor chimed in with two for 45 with her off-spin.
Australia were cantering at 217 for two in the 44th over and seemingly en route to an easy win before five wickets tumbled in the space of 32 deliveries, to set up a tense finish.
Earlier, West Indies were lifted by the superb Taylor who extended her wonderful form from the preceding Twenty20 series which the Caribbean side lost 4-0.
She came to the crease after West Indies lost opener Kycia Knight for 14 with the score on 18 at the end of the third over, and proceeded to repair the innings with two key partnerships. Firstly, she added 109 for the second wicket with the right-handed Matthews whose half-century knock came from 86 balls and included six fours.
When Matthews fell to Beams in the 27th over, Taylor anchored a third wicket stand of 74 with Dottin who was unusually sedate in her 40-ball knock with three boundaries. West Indies then struck early, seamer Tremayne Smartt claiming Elyse Villani for four with the Aussies having reached 12 for one in the third over.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES WOMEN
Kycia Knight c Villani b Farrell 14
H Matthews c Schutt b Beams 55
S Taylor c Bolton b Jonassen 95
D Dottin lbw b Beams 24
*+M Aguilleira c Lanning b Schutt 5
S Campbelle c Bolton b Osborne 14
S Daley c Perry b Osborne 2
A Mohammed c Perry b Osborne 0
T Smartt not out 8
S Selman not out 7
Extras (lb4, w12) 16
TOTAL (8 wkts, 50 overs) 240
Did not bat: S Connell
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-127, 3-201, 4-202, 5-211, 6-218, 7-219, 8-228.
Bowling: Farrell 7-0-42-1 (w1), Perry 10-1-52-0 (w1), Beams 10-1-32-2 (w2), Schutt 6-0-36-1 (w3), Osborne 10-0-43-3, Jonassen 7-0-31-1 (w4).
AUSTRALIA WOMEN
E Villani c Matthews b Smartt 4
N Bolton c Taylor b Mohammed 59
*M Lanning c wkp Aguilleira b Taylor 95
E Perry c & b Taylor 53
A Blackwell c Matthews b Mohammed 2
+A Healy c Taylor b Daley 14
J Jonassen c & b Daley 3
E Osborne not out 3
R Farrell not out 0
Extras (b1, lb3, w1, nb3) 8
TOTAL (7 wkts4, 9.3 overs) 241
Did not bat: K Beams, M Schutt
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-112, 3-217, 4-220, 5-226, 6-232, 7-239.
Bowling: Smartt 5-0-19-1 (nb2), Connell 4-0-22-0, Selman 4-0-25-0 (nb1), Dottin 7-0-34-0, Taylor 8.3-0-45-2 (w1), Mohammed 10-0-39-2, Matthews 3-0-15-0, Daley 8-0-38-2.
Result: Australia Women won by three wickets.
Series: Australia Women leads four-match series 1-0.
Player-of-the-Match: Stafanie Taylor.
Toss: Australia Women.