West Indies complete clean sweep against Pakistan

KARACHI: West Indies beat Pakistan by six wickets in the third ODI at National Stadium here on Sunday thanks to a century by Stafanie Taylor, winning the series 3-0.

Chasing 226, Taylor and Chedean Nation put together a 128-run fifth-wicket stand as West Indies romped to a six-wicket win. Stafanie scored 102 off 117 balls.

Put in to bat, Pakistan were off to a good start, with openers Muneeba Ali and Ayesha Zafar stitching together a 49-run stand. Aaliyah Alleyne drew first blood, dismissing Zafar for 13. Muneeba, though, stuck around, bringing up her half-century off 75 balls.

Pakistan then lost three wickets in the space of 16 balls, following which Iram Javed and Aliya Riaz resurrected the innings with a 44-run stand for the fifth wicket. Riaz hit an unbeaten 57-ball 44 to take Pakistan to 225.

In reply, West Indies got off to a shaky start, Anam Amin and Diana Baig reducing them to 15 for 3. But Taylor and Hayley Matthews’ lifted them with an 83-run stand off 104 balls.

Sadia Iqbal provided the breakthrough by removing Matthews for 49, but Taylor kept the runs flowing, bringing up her half-century off 72 balls.

Nation joined Taylor at the crease in the 22nd over and the two kept the scoreboard moving. Taylor got to her seventh ODI century in 113 balls, and on her way, she also brought up 5000 runs in ODIs, becoming just the third woman to the milestone. Nation also brought up a fifty of her own as the duo finished things off quickly, sealing the match in 44 overs.