BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Opener Stafanie Taylor stroked a typically accomplished half-century to fire West Indies to an eight-wicket victory over England in the final of the Women’s T20 International Tri-nation Series.
The classy right-hander finished on 51 not out as West Indies, chasing a meagre 116 for victory, reached their target with 19 balls to spare under lights at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
Taylor faced 47 balls and struck five fours, sharing an unbroken 78-run, third wicket stand off 64 balls with aggressive stroke-maker Deandra Dottin who hammered 46 from 35 balls with four fours and a six.
Their dominance, after the Windies slid to 41 for two in the seventh over, shut England out of the game and there was little doubt about the result thereafter.
Earlier, the Windies bowlers stifled England’s top order, and the tourists could only muster 115 for five off their 20 overs, after winning the toss and opting for first knock in good conditions.
Captain Charlotte Edwards (10) and Danielle Wyatt (12) put on 22 off 24 balls for the first wicket, but once Wyatt skied a simple catch to wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira off Shanel Daley off the final ball of the fourth, the inning went into decline.
Edwards was run out off the first delivery of the next over sneaking a suicide single and two balls later, Lydia Greenway was taken at backward square by Dottin off Taylor’s off-spin.
Tammy Beaumont looked to counter-attack but got as far as 13 from 22 balls before she holed out in the deep off leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne, and suddenly England had lost four wickets for 17 runs in the space of 34 balls.
Natalie Sciver and Sarah Taylor then added a run-a-ball 50 for the fifth wicket to steady the innings. Sciver stroked 36 from 33 deliveries with one four and a six – a swat over mid-wicket off the last ball of the innings – while Taylor played the anchor role with 28 from 32 balls.
Stafanie Taylor was superb with one for eight off her four overs while leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne and left-armer Shanel Daley both picked up one for 21 from their four overs.
In reply, openers Taylor and Kyshona Knight started positively, adding 24 off 21 balls before Knight played a loose stroke and was taken at cover point by Greenway off Jenny Gunn in the fourth over.
Aguilleira lasted just seven balls and made only four before picking out Gunn at mid on off left-arm spinner Holly Colvin. However, whatever hopes England had of making further inroads into the Windies innings were quickly dashed by Taylor and Dottin who took command of the game.
Taylor’s only blemish was when she was dropped at cover by Gunn diving to her right but she overcame that hiccup to post her half-century off 46 balls.
Dottin, meanwhile, struck the ball with tremendous power, clearing long-on with seamer Natalie Sciver in the 12th over before finishing the contest with a full-blooded straight hit off left-arm seamer Natasha Farrant.
Fittingly, Taylor was named Player-of-the-Match while Dottin won the Player-of-the-Series honour.