BRISTOL, England, CMC — West Indies Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor atoned for a major indiscretion in the field by stroking a superb, unbeaten half-century to fire Western Storm to a handsome five-wicket victory over Surrey Stars here yesterday.
Chasing 162 for victory at the Brightside Ground, Storm reached their target with two balls to spare, with the right-handed Taylor seeing her side home with 74 not out off 48 deliveries, after a powerful display of hitting in the final over.
All told, she smashed six fours and five sixes and anchored two half-century stands which twice pulled Storm around from critical positions during their innings.
Taylor received support from South African Lizelle Lee who struck 53 from 37 balls while Sophie Luff hit a breezy unbeaten 21 off 14 deliveries.
Storm were slumping at 17 for three in the fourth over when Taylor dug deep with an excellent innings, to steer them out of trouble.
She put on 76 for the fourth wicket with Lee who counted eight fours and two sixes in her knock before becoming one of two quick wickets to tumble in successive overs to leave Storm on 94 for five in the 15th over.
However, Taylor then partnered with Luff in a 71-run, unbroken sixth wicket stand to deny the Stars any further success.
Starting the final over needing 14 runs to win, Luff got a single from the first ball to hand Taylor the strike and the Jamaican belted two consecutive sixes off New Zealander Lea Tahuhu, before smashing the fourth ball for a boundary, to lift Storm to a sensational win.
Earlier, captain Natalie Sciver had top-scored with an unbeaten 90 to propel Stars to 161 for six off their 20 overs, after opting to bat first.
Taylor dropped Sciver in the deep when she had scored only two and the England right-hander capitalised to stroke 16 fours and two sixes in a cameo 45-ball innings.
No other batsman made it past 20.
Taylor finished wicket-less from three overs of off-spin which went for 33 runs.
