On a crisp Wednesday at Bready Cricket Club, the West Indies Women’s national team delivered a dominant closing performance to seal a clean 3-0 ODI series sweep against Ireland, anchored by a Player of the Match-winning century from veteran all-rounder Stafanie Taylor. Taylor’s knock marked only the second time a West Indies women’s batter has recorded consecutive centuries in international one-day cricket, a feat that captain Hayley Matthews achieved just days earlier in the series’ opening two matches.
The day began with West Indies batting first, and the side got off to a disastrous early start when Matthews, the series’ standout performer, was dismissed for just six runs in the third over. The top order continued to struggle through the opening 19 overs, and by the time Deandra Dottin was out for 21, West Indies had slumped to a precarious 82 for five wickets. It was Taylor who stepped in to steady the innings, playing a fluent, controlled knock while her batting partners struggled to build momentum at the other end.
As the innings neared its close, Taylor found critical lower-order support to push the team’s total to a competitive mark. Jahzara Claxton contributed a steady 30 runs off 43 deliveries, while Aaliyah Alleyne smashed a quickfire 33 runs from just 30 balls, including six boundaries. Entering the final over of West Indies’ innings on 90, Taylor turned on the power: she hammered back-to-back boundaries off Irish bowler Georgina Dempsey, then scrambled two runs off the third delivery to reach her third ODI century. Tragically for Taylor, she was run out on the final ball of the innings, finishing with 105 runs off 113 balls, decorated with 10 fours.
Ireland’s bowling attack put in a solid collective effort to restrict West Indies: Orla Prendergast finished with 2 wickets for 37 runs, Jane Maguire claimed 2 for 44, and Dempsey ended with 2 for 61. West Indies’ final total of 257 set Ireland a target of 258 for victory.
The Irish side got off to a promising start in their chase, reaching 81 for one wicket after just 18 overs. But a collapse triggered by West Indies’ spin attack turned the game on its head. Spinners Karishma Ramharack and Afy Fletcher each took three wickets for just 33 runs apiece, while Matthews added two wickets for 37 runs. Ireland collapsed all the way to 193 all out in 44 overs, losing their final four wickets for only 35 runs, securing a 64-run win for West Indies. For the hosts, Gaby Lewis top-scored with 50 runs, Leah Paul contributed 32, and Amy Hunter added 30 in a losing cause.
Matthews capped off a historic individual series, ending with a total of 265 runs with the bat and seven wickets with the ball, earning her the Player of the Series award to go alongside West Indies’ series sweep.