Stafanie Taylor masterclass drives West Indies to 1-0 series lead against Pakistan
On top of team-best figures of 3/29 with her off-breaks to restrict Pakistan to 205 from their allotted overs, captain Taylor struck her sixth ODI hundred to hand the West Indies a comfortable five-wicket win.
In the process, Taylor passed Australian duo Karen Rolton and Belinda Clark on the all-time women's ODI runs list, and now sits in third behind England's Charlotte Edwards and India's Mithali Raj.
Stafanie Taylor brings up her 6️⃣th ODI century to win player of the match 🎉
— ICC (@ICC) July 7, 2021
West Indies go 1-0 in the series against Pakistan!#WIvPAK pic.twitter.com/sv8a14T1Hx
Taylor won the toss in Coolidge and sent Pakistan in, though it was the tourists who arguably had the ascendancy, as Muneeba Ali and Ayesha Zafar applied early pressure on the home side's bowlers. That pressure had all but dissipated when a pinpoint throw from Chedean Nation in the outfield caught Ali (36) out of her ground, ending the opening partnership at 70.
The run out was the catalyst in a momentum shift back towards the West Indies, who went about their work through the spin duo of Taylor and Anisa Mohammad. The pair claimed the key wickets of Zafar (46), captain Javeria Khan (5) and Omaima Sohail (15), all while keeping the run rate under four an over.
The experience of Pakistan's No.5 Nida Dar shone through, whose 55 off 71 deliveries lifted her side towards a competitive total. Despite her best efforts, batting partners fell at the other end, and Dar herself fell with 22 balls left in the innings. Pakistan crept over the 200 mark, finishing 205/9 from their 50 overs.
In reply, the West Indies lost Kyshona Knight (8) and Hayley Matthews (16) early, though the experience of Taylor came through, measuring the chase with a cool head. With more than 200 international matches under her belt, Taylor controlled 30 overs of action, striking 11 fours and two sixes in a dominant display. She made 105, not to mention not out, of the team's 167 runs compiled during her time at the crease.
Thumping a boundary off Diana Baig (1/34) with the scores level, Taylor was a unanimous Player of the Match winner, and is now just 141 runs shy of joining Edwards and Raj in the 5000 ODI run club.