Hayley Matthews became the third West Indian, after Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin, to surpass 3,500 ODI runs as she produced a match‑winning all‑round performance to help West Indies clinch the three‑match series against Ireland with a game to spare at Bready on 12 July 2026.
Hayley Matthews century and tidy bowling (10-1-34-2) in the second ODI underlined her stature as the team’s talisman: she now owns 3,560 ODI runs at a strike rate of 77.86 and an average of 36.32 from 107 matches, while consolidating several chase‑related batting landmarks in the format.
Chasing 242 after electing to field, West Indies rode on a monumental second‑wicket stand between Matthews and former skipper Stafanie Taylor to turn the match. Ireland, captained by Gaby Lewis, had posted a competitive 241/7 on the back of contributions from skipper Gaby Lewis (24), Amy Hunter (67), Rebecca Stokell (57) and Leah Paul (32), keeping the scoreboard ticking at a healthy rate, leaving the visitors with a challenging but gettable target. Deandra Dottin and Matthews had earlier been impressive with the ball, with Dottin’s tight showing (5-0-15-2) and Matthews’ own 10 overs yielding two key wickets.
The West Indies lost Realeanna Grimmond for a three‑ball duck in the very first over, but Matthews and Stafanie Taylor then steadied and accelerated with calm authority. Their 158‑run partnership became the second‑highest second‑wicket stand for the West Indies in ODIs and effectively sealed the chase’s fate. Matthews brought up her 12th ODI century, and her second of the series, with an exquisitely paced 100 off 94 balls featuring 14 fours and two sixes, before Louise Little trapped her in the 26th over.
That knock took Matthews past the 3,500‑run mark and cemented a series of notable records: she now has the second most centuries (5) in successful ODI run chases overall; she shares the second‑most centuries as a skipper in run chases (4) with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu; and she is joint second for centuries as a captain in winning causes (7), alongside South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt.
Stafanie Taylor’s experience then guided the remainder of the chase. After Matthews’ exit, she held one end firm, compiling an unbeaten 100* off 105 balls, her ninth ODI century, and forging useful partnerships including a 30‑run stand with Deandra Dottin and an unbroken 43 with Shemaine Campbelle to carry the West Indies home. The visitors reached their target with six wickets in hand and 67 overs to spare, sealing the series 2-0.
Skipper Hayley Matthews Player of the Match award reflected a complete, match‑defining display: a century with the bat complemented by incisive off-spin bowling that choked Ireland’s scoring at key moments. Her progression from her international debut in 2014 to now being one of West Indies’ foremost all‑round match‑winners shows both consistency and clutch performances in run chases, qualities that have enhanced her statistical footprint and leadership credentials.
Her best performance with the bat for her side in the format so far came in the 1st ODI on 10th July 2026 at Bready in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Ireland. She scored a breath-taking unbeaten century 159* (123 balls) opening the innings alongside Realeanna Grimmond in a run chase of 270, guiding her side over the line in the run chase with 9 wickets in hand and 68 balls to spare, proving decisive in their (1-0) lead. Her knock included 24 boundaries and a couple of maximums. It is the highest individual score by a West Indian and, overall, the 3rd highest individual score in a run chase in Women’s ODIs.
Ireland and the West Indies will meet again in the final ODI on 15 July at Bready, where Ireland, under Gaby Lewis, will seek to salvage pride and give their home crowd something to cheer. For West Indies, Matthews’ landmark innings and her place among the 3,500-plus ODI run‑makers offer both a personal milestone and a timely signal that she remains central to their ambitions across formats.
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