Daley leads Windies to T20 series sweep
GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) — Left-arm spinner Shanel Daley inspired West Indies Women to a clean sweep of their two-match Twenty20 International series against South Africa Women, helping to set up a comfortable six-wicket win in the final encounter here yesterday.
Sent in, South Africa laboured to 94-6 off their 20 overs with Daley snaring 3-22 from her four overs to stifle scoring.
Captain Mignon du Preez topscored with 26 and wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty chipped in with 22, but runs proved difficult to come by.
Chasing a paltry total, West Indies overcame the loss of Juliana Nero to the second ball of the innings without a run on the board, to get home with 16 balls to spare at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium.
Shemaine Campbelle struck 33 from 28 balls, while Natasha McLean made a patient 23 from 40 balls at the top of the order to set the wheels in motion for a Windies’ victory.
Medium-pacer Marizanne Kapp was outstanding, grabbing 3-3 off her four allotted overs.
Following on from their convincing eight-wicket win on Saturday, the West Indies were game from the start and Daley knocked over both openers to sent South Africa tumbling to 25-4 in the seventh over.
Du Preez and Chetty then rebuilt the innings in a 35-run fifth wicket stand, to stem the flow of wickets and haul the Proteas back into the contest.
While du Preez struck three fours off 41 balls, Chetty faced 31 balls and hit one four, but was busy between the wickets.
Daley broke the stand to claim her third wicket when she got du Preez caught and bowled in the 14th over, and West Indies kept their feet down to ensure South Africa did not recover.
When the hosts batted, Nero’s loss was an early blow, especially with the batting already weakened by the omission of Stafanie Taylor who was unwell.
And Windies were wobbling even further when left-handed opener Kyshona Knight (12) was brilliantly taken at short mid-wicket by Yolandi Potgieter at 18 for two in the fifth over.
However, Campbelle and McLean steadied the innings with a 56-run, third wicket partnership that put West Indies in sight of victory.
Daley was named Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series.