BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Seamer Shakera Selman bowled a brilliant last over as West Indies Women snatched a thrilling four-run victory over New Zealand Women to complete their sweep of the four-match One-Day International series at Warner Park here yesterday.
Chasing 215 for victory, New Zealand Women looked the likely winners when Rachel Priest top-scored with 74 and captain Suzie Bates struck 68, in an opening stand of 114.
They were still cruising at 176 for two in the 39th over when off-spinner Anisa Mohammed intervened, grabbing four for 41 while Selman took two for 34, as the visitors lost their last eight wickets for 34 runs.
With New Zealand Women requiring nine runs from the last two overs, seamer Deandra Dottin sent down an over that cost just two runs and which included the wicket of Priest, holing out to deep mid-wicket off the fifth ball of the over.
Entrusted with the last over with New Zealand Women needing seven runs to win, Selman held Holly Huddleston scoreless of the first two deliveries before bowling her with the third, as the batsman swung and missed.
Georgia Guy gathered a couple square of the wicket first ball she faced but then Morna Nielson charged down the wicket for a non-existent single of the fifth delivery, and found herself stranded after Guy failed to respond.
The wicket sealed a superb come-from-behind victory for West Indies Women who had earlier rattled up 214 for eight off their 50 overs, after being sent in.
Stafanie Taylor top-scored with 66 from 84 balls, with seven fours and a six, while Kycia Knight hit 39 and Natasha McLean, 36, in putting on 58 for the first wicket.
When McLean skied off-spinner Guy to long on in the 12th over, Taylor and Knight put on 53 for the second wicket to put the innings back on course.
Shanel Daley chipped in with an unbeaten 29 down the order to rally the tail.
Guy picked up three for 23 while left-armer Morna Nielsen took two for 27.
West Indies Women seemed destined to lose the game when Priest and Bates were involved in their century stand.
Priest faced 137 balls and struck eight fours while Bates counted eight fours and a six off 75 deliveries, before the skipper holed out to long-off in the 25th over, to give Mohammed her first wicket.
With three runs added in Mohammed’s next over, Amy Satterthwaite top-edged a sweep and was taken at slip by Taylor, for one.
Priest and Sophie Devine, who scored 31 from 43 balls with two fours and two sixes, added 59 for the third wicket to revive their side’s hopes.
Devine seemed to be accelerating New Zealand Women to victory when she cleared the ropes in successive overs by 18-year-old leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne and then Mohammed. However, she fell to a soft dismissal in the 39th over, driving a full toss from Mohammed to Britney Cooper at cover.
West Indies Women then kept their nerve to edge the Kiwis.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES WOMEN
Kycia Knight c Bates b Huddleston 39
N McLean c Green b Guy 36
S Taylor c Green b Guy 66
D Dottin c Bates b Guy 13
B Cooper c & b Curtis 1
*+M Aguilleira b Nielsen 2
S Daley not out 29
S Quintyne c wkp Priest b Nielsen 0
A Mohammed c Guy b Green 3
S Selman not out 11
Extras (lb1, w10, nb3) 14
TOTAL (8 wkts, 50 overs) 214
Did not bat: T Smartt
Fall of wickets: 1-58 (McLean), 2-111 (Kycia Knight), 3-130 (Dottin), 4-138 (Cooper), 5-142 (Aguilleira), 6-177 (Taylor), 7-178 (Quintyne,), 8-183 (Mohammed))
Bowling: Nielsen 10-2-27-2 (w1), Huddleston 8-1-42-1 (w2, nb2), Devine 7-0-34-0 (w2), Guy 10-0-23-3, Bates 8-0-42-0 (w1), Green 5-0-30-1 (w1, nb1), Curtis 2-0-15-1 (w1).
NEW ZEALAND WOMEN
*S Bates c Dottin b Mohammed 68
+R Priest c Selman b Dottin 74
A Satterthwaite c Taylor b Mohammed 1
S Devine c Cooper b Mohammed 31
S McGlashan b Mohammed 11
K Perkins lbw b Quintyne 0
S Curtis run out 7
M Green c Smartt b Selman 2
M Nielsen run out 1
H Huddleston b Selman 0
G Guy not out 2
Extras (b1, lb1, w6, nb5) 13
TOTAL (all out, 49.4 overs) 210
Fall of wickets: 1-114 (Bates), 2-117 (Satterthwaite), 3-176 (Devine), 4-188 (McGlashan), 5-191 (Perkins), 6-201 (Curtis), 7-206 (Green), 8-208 (Priest), 9-208 (Huddleston), 10-210 (Nielsen)
Bowling: Selman 5.4-0-34-2 (nb1), Daley 10-0-25-0 (w1), Taylor 6-0-36-0 (w2), Mohammed 10-2-41-4 (w1), Dottin 4-0-25-1 (nb1), Smartt 4-0-20-0 (nb1), Quintyne 10-1-27-1.
Result: West Indies Women won by four runs.
Series: West Indies Women won four-match series 4-0.
Player-of-the-Match: Anisa Mohammed.
Player-of-the-Series: Anisa Mohammed
Toss: New Zealand Women.
Umpires: G Brathwaite, J Wilson.
