Matthews, Taylor centuries seal dominant series win for West Indies Women

Centuries from Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor headlined a second dominant West Indies win, and a 2-0 scoreline in their three-match ODI series against Ireland.

Opting to field first in Bready, West Indies restricted Ireland to 241-7 batting first, despite fifties from Amy Hunter and Rebecca Stokell. In the chase, their brace of centuries laid the grounds for a win with six wickets and 11.1 overs to spare.

Ireland openers Sarah Forbes and Gaby Lewis had begun the day with a steady partnership of 38. It was broken in the final over of their batting powerplay, when Deandra Dottin had Forbes edging behind to wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle.

Dottin struck soon again, in her next over, by having Hunter edge behind too.

Matthews picked up Orla Prendergast’s wicket in the 20th over to begin what would be another prolific day. In the first ODI, she had taken a three-for, then scored 159* off 123 balls in the chase, setting a record for West Indies’ highest successful ODI run chase.

A 106-run partnership between half-centurions Hunter (67) and Stokell (57) had arrested the slide for Ireland. In the 41st over, Stokell departed when she fell to legspinner Afy Fletcher, on a day when she was otherwise the most expensive West Indies bowler, going at a run rate of 7.44 in her nine overs.

In the next over, Matthews returned to snare out Hunter too. Ireland had suddenly slid from 180-3 to 188-5, but they still scored 53 runs in their final eight and a half overs, propelled by cameos from Leah Paul (32) and Alana Dalzell (17*).

Once Matthews came out to open in the chase of 242, there would be no repeat heroics from the West Indies opening stand: Grimmond fell in the first over to Prendergast.

However, there would be no respite for Ireland thereafter. Matthews and Taylor, batting at No. 3, put together a 158-run partnership for the second wicket.

Matthews brought up her second consecutive century off 92 balls, hitting 14 fours and two sixes along the way. She fell in the 26th over, to Louise Little, but Taylor kept the charge up.

Aimee Maguire took back-to-back wickets with West Indies cruising through their chase, taking out Dottin and Jannillea Glasgow to leave West Indies at 199-4.

Still, they needed just 43 off 94 balls at this point, and Taylor ensured there were no further hiccups as she up brought her own 104-ball century with a four, then a six.

Dalzell followed up, on the next delivery, by bowling a no-ball with just one run left to defend. This extra – Ireland’s 14th – handed West Indies their series win with a game still left to play, on July 15 at the same venue. (Cricinfo)