The final league match of Group B between England and West Indies saw a special milestone for Windies skipper Hayley Matthews, as she played her 100th T20I, becoming only the fifth West Indies player to achieve this feat. On her 100th match, Matthews showcased her all-round abilities, claiming two crucial wickets and later scoring a fifty, her 14th in the format.
Hayley’s T20I journey began on September 27, 2014, when she made her debut against New Zealand, opening the innings and scoring 14. However, it wasn’t long before she made a strong impression. In May 2015, during the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka, she delivered a brilliant performance in the third T20I, taking four wickets and scoring an unbeaten 32 to earn her first Player of the Match award. This was just the start of what would become an illustrious T20I career.
One of the standout moments in Matthews’ career came during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2016, where the all-rounder helped her side win the tournament. Facing Australia in the final, she scored her first T20I half-century, a blistering 66 off 45 balls, and also claimed a wicket. This match-winning performance earned her the Player of the Match title in the final and led West Indies to their first T20 World Cup triumph. Three years later, in May 2019, she added another feather to her cap by scoring her first T20I century, an unbeaten 107 against Ireland.
⭐ 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 ⭐
West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews is featuring in her 100th T20I match today.#CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Cpqrnoun6w
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 15, 2024
The year 2020 was another landmark for Matthews as she crossed 1,000 T20I runs during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Additionally, she achieved her 50th T20I wicket that same year during the West Indies tour of England. Her leadership potential was recognized in June 2022 when she was named the captain of the West Indies women’s team, taking over from Stafanie Taylor.
In the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Matthews was the leading run-scorer for her team, amassing 130 runs in four innings. Her form continued to soar, and in October 2023, she recorded her highest T20I score, a dazzling 132 against Australia. This knock also marked her second T20I century, and during the same series, she crossed the 2,000-run milestone in T20Is, a testament to her consistency and dominance over the years.
With over 2,000 runs and more than 100 wickets in T20I cricket, Hayley Matthews stands as one of the most accomplished all-rounders in the game.
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