West Indies women cricketers are basking in the glory of a 2-1 triumph in their three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against their visiting Sri Lanka counterparts.
The West Indian girls showed the stuff champions are made of when they won the decisive third ODI by a comfortable 45-run margin under the Duckworth/Lewis method at the picturesque Windward Cricket Club ground in St Philip.
Once again, it was the all-round efforts of Jamaican left-hander Shanel Daley, who engineered victory for the Sherwin Campbell-coached Caribbean side.
The 23-year-old Daley, whose father Aaron Daley represented Jamaica in the then Shell Shield first-class championship, stroked a responsible 61 in the Windies’ total of 168 for seven off the reduced quota of 40 overs following a 70-minute stoppage for rain.
Daley returned to collect three for 25 from eight overs as Sri Lanka folded for 131 in 38.4 overs.
West Indies Women had won the opening game at Kensington Oval by 88 runs last Wednesday when Daley also starred, hitting the top score of 63. She also bowled her 10 overs tidily, for 21 runs while taking one wicket.
Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed bagged a five-wicket haul.
Captain Merissa Aguilleira, who has shown significant improvement in shepherding the middle and lower order, also scored a breezy 62 while world No.1 batter Stafanie Taylor hit a polished 53 opening the innings.
Sri Lanka rebounded to beat the West Indies in the second ODI at Windward last Friday despite a career-best knock of 56 by Guyanese teenager Shemaine Campbelle and a solid 45 from Julianna Nero.
The teams will wrap up the Barbados leg today with the second T20 bowling off at Kensington Oval at 2:30 p.m.
Barbadian Deandra Dottin, who endured a lean ODI series with just 24 runs in her three innings, will no doubt be looking to give her home fans something to shout about, while seam bowler Shakera Selman, who was the most economical in the ODI, yielding 2.28 runs per over, will also be looking to maintain her economy and get among the wickets.
(EZS)
