SYDNEY, Australia – West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews said the responsibility that comes with the role, and her exposure to franchise cricket over the past couple years were key factors in the improvements to her batting.
West Indies captain Hayley MatthewsThe 25-year-old all-rounder hammered an incredible 132, and her side pulled off the highest successful run chase of all-time in women’s Twenty20 Internationals against hosts, world No. 1 and world champions Australia Women on Monday.
Matthews smashed 20 fours and five sixes from 64 balls in a breath-taking assault on the Australian bowling, and the Caribbean side successfully chased 213 to secure a seven-wicket win in the second T20I at North Sydney Oval to level the three-match series 1-1.
“Today was quite incredible,” Matthews told reporters at the post-play news conference. “I can’t quite find the words yet, but I don’t think many days of cricket have beaten that.”
Her batting performance came after she took three for 36 from her allotted four overs with her off-spin while Australia Women piled up 212 for six after they were put in to bat, and it made her a shoo-in for a seventh straight Player-of-the-Match award in T20s.
Matthews made an unbeaten 99 in the first T20I, which her side lost by eight wickets on Sunday at the same venue, but she made sure that she did not miss out at the second time of asking with her dynamic second T20I hundred.
“The leadership of the team has definitely helped me to take responsibility of my game, that along with learning and understanding my game a lot more from playing franchise and T20 cricket on the road,” she added.
“Two of those put together over the last 12 months have really helped, not only with me scoring runs, but scoring them consistently as well.”
She said: “I speak about trying to lead by example, and I think it’s something growing up I watched Stafanie do, while I was playing with her in my younger days.
“Since I’ve taken over the role, I’ve really tried to emulate that and take responsibility and set a really good example for the young girls.”
Taylor made 59 from 41 balls, and Matthews combined with her predecessor as West Indies captain for a record 174-run partnership for the second wicket, while the Australians were left to rue a couple of dropped chances during the run chase just when the two batting stalwarts for the visitors started to believe.
“Steph and I really started to have a look at chasing it when I think we needed 105 from 54 balls,” she said. “At that moment, with the momentum we had, we really spoke about trying to go as hard as we could from both ends with the wickets we had in hand.
“Kudos to her as well. She had an amazing knock at the other end. It took so much pressure off me and kept the boundaries flowing.”
Taylor was dismissed with 28 needed from 18 balls to give Australia a sliver of hope, and Matthews fell with nine needed off seven balls, but Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbelle stuck around to formalise the result with one ball remaining.
“It was a very long day,” Matthews said. “After getting so close to a score, chasing 212 doesn’t come every day, especially for our team, you really want to get over that line.
“I had all faith in Shemaine and Chin. They’e experienced, they’ve been around the circuit for a long time, and have been coming into their own of late, so I had no doubt.”
The final T20I of the series is on Thursday at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
