Stafanie Taylor etched another milestone into women’s cricket history on 7 October 2026, becoming only the second West Indian after Hayley Matthews, and the fourth player globally after New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and the UAE’s Esha Oza, to surpass 3,000 T20I runs while also claiming 100 T20I wickets. The 35-year-old all-rounder achieved the landmark during <a href="https://cricket.international/stafanie-taylors-unbeaten-64-powers-west-indies-women-to-8-wicket-win-over-zimbabwe/" title="Stafanie Taylor's Unbeaten 64 Powers West Indies Women to 8-Wicket Win Over Zimbabwe”>West Indies’ eight-wicket victory in the third T20I against Zimbabwe at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare, sealing a 3-0 series sweep and earning Player of the Match honours for a match-defining all-round display.
Taylor entered the 3rd T20I, just one wicket shy of the century mark and delivered with her trademark off-spin, returning figures of 4-1-8-2. Her spell accounted for Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano (7 off 12) and wicket-keeper batter Chiedza Dhururu (9 off 20), helping restrict Zimbabwe before she anchored the chase with an unbeaten 64 off 39 balls batting at number three. Her knock, studded with 11 boundaries, guided West Indies home in pursuit of 143 and underscored her enduring class as a finisher and stabiliser in equal measure.
The milestone crowns a career defined by longevity and versatility. Taylor made her international debut in an ODI on 24 June 2008 against Ireland in Dublin, followed by her T20I debut three days later at the same venue. Since then, she has featured in 142 T20Is, bowling in 92 innings to collect 101 wickets at an average of 16.74 and an economy of 5.60, including two four-wicket hauls. Her best T20I bowling came on 14 November 2018 against South Africa at Gros Islet, where she claimed 4-12 in 3.4 overs in the second innings of an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup fixture, dismissing Sune Luus, Mignon du Preez, Chloe Tryon and Shabnim Ismail as West Indies won by 31 runs.
Notably, Taylor did not bowl in T20Is between 4 July 2021 and 1 March 2026, before returning to the attack against Sri Lanka at St George’s. Her renewed role with the ball has complemented her batting, which has yielded 3,740 runs in 138 innings at an average of 35.28, including 23 half-centuries. That dual-threat profile places her in rare company: alongside Devine, Oza and Matthews as the only women with 3,000+ T20I runs and 100+ wickets, and as the fourth West Indian woman to reach 100 T20I wickets after Matthews, Anisa Mohammed and Afy Fletcher.
The Harare series marked a historic first white-ball tour between Zimbabwe and West Indies, spanning three ODIs followed by three T20Is from 24 September to 7 October 2026. West Indies carried their momentum from a 2-1 ODI series win into the shortest format, dominating Zimbabwe 3-0 in T20Is. Taylor’s Player of the Match performance in the finale encapsulated the tour: a senior pro setting the tempo with the ball, then sealing the contest with the bat under pressure.
At 35, Taylor’s latest achievement is more than a personal landmark; it is a statement of sustained excellence in a format that often favours the young and explosive. Her ability to contribute decisively in both disciplines, crafting innings in chases and breaking partnerships with accurate off-spin, continues to define West Indies’ identity in T20Is. With this milestone, she not only joins an exclusive global quartet but also reinforces her status as one of the most complete all-rounders in women’s T20 history.
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Source: femalecricket.com
