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Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher give West Indies women thumping victory

Stafanie Taylor plays through the off side as Mary Waldron looks on Getty Images

West Indies women 139 for 4 (Taylor 75, Raack 1-16) beat Ireland women 75 (Garth 46, Fletcher 4-14) by 64 runs

Captain Stafanie Taylor's half-century and legspinner Afy Fletcher's four-wicket haul helped West Indies women cruise to a 64-run victory over Ireland in the first game of the three-match T20I series in Dublin.

Batting first, Taylor led from the front with 75 off 53 balls, laced with 11 fours and a six. Britney Cooper (17) and Shemaine Campbelle (20) gave Taylor the required support. West Indies didn't have a great start as Hayley Matthews was run out for 3 in the fourth over of the match. But Taylor and Cooper took the side past 50 in the tenth over. Sophie MacMohan broke the stand in the next over by dismissing Cooper with her medium pace.

Taylor then joined hands with Campbelle and the two added 75 in just 47 balls for the third wicket to give impetus to the innings as West Indies finished with 139 for 4.

In response, Ireland were bundled for 75 in 18.4 overs as Fletcher and medium pacer Chinelle Henry shared six wickets. Kim Garth was the only one to reach double figures, scoring 46 off 55 balls, and when she became the ninth wicket to fall, Ireland's innings came to an end as their captain Laura Delany wasn't available to bat after being hit on the right ankle by a Campbelle shot in the first half.

Just like the visitors, Ireland lost their first wicket cheaply with Gaby Lewis walking back in the first over of the chase. Mary Waldron and Garth took the side to 32 before Waldron was run out. In the next over, Henry dismissed Shauna Kavanagh and Una Raymond-Hoey to reduce Ireland to 34 for 4.

Garth held one end up but the wickets kept tumbling at the other. Fletcher cleaned up the middle and the lower-middle order, taking four of the next five wickets to fall, including that of Garth, as Ireland failed to last the full 20 overs, finishing up with eight balls left in their innings.

IRE WMN 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st1MV WaldronGH Lewis
2nd31KJ GarthMV Waldron
3rd1SM KavanaghKJ Garth
4th1KJ GarthU Raymond-Hoey
5th9KJ GarthR Stokell
6th9KJ GarthL Little
7th2KJ GarthS MacMahon
8th4KJ GarthL Maritz
9th17KJ GarthC Raack