West Indies tour of Australia 2023

Hayley Matthews and co. script historic T20I win over mighty Australia

October 5, 2023
Yash Tailor

The West Indies women’s team’s ongoing tour to Australia for a limited-overs series is their first visit to the country since 2014. The West Indies suffered a comprehensive defeat in the first T20I. However, skipper Hayley Matthews was the lone warrior for the visitors, scoring an unbeaten 99, falling just one short of her well-deserved century, and also picked up a crucial wicket of the Australian skipper Alyssa Healy.

Hayley Matthews and co. script historic T20I win over mighty Australia. PC: Getty
Hayley Matthews and Co. script historic T20I win over mighty Australia. PC: Getty

West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews won the toss and opted to field first in the second T20I. Both sides were unchanged into the second T20I. After being inserted to bat first, the home side got off to the worst possible start, losing their skipper on the first ball of the match, vice-captain Tahlia McGrath followed her back to the pavilion. Chenille Henry provided the first breakthrough for the West Indies.

Ellyse Perry joined Beth Mooney at the crease and the duo stitched a crucial 70-run partnership for the third wicket. Skipper Hayley Matthews provided a much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Beth Mooney, trying to fetch the ball from outside the off-stump, but failed to get the elevation right, handing an easy catch to Shamilia Connell on the edge of the circle at backward square to fetch Hayley Matthews her the second wicket of the day. Ellyse Perry completed her 9th half-century for Australia in the T20Is off just 34 balls.

As they say, one wicket brings two, which again proved to be true, as they also lost the wicket of Ashleigh Gardner for a 6-ball 2. The 20-year-old young sensation Phoebe Litchfield joined Ellyse Perry at the crease and the duo stitched a 33-run partnership. Shamilia Connell provided a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Ellyse Perry for a well-made 70, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 152.17. Her knock included five boundaries and four maximums.

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The home side eventually, ended up with a massive total on the board (212/6) in their quota of overs, courtesy of a late flourish from Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Wareham as they blasted their way to a 66-run partnership for the 7th wicket, striking at a massive strike rate of 300 through the course of the partnership. Phoebe Litchfield scored the joint fastest half-century off just 18 balls in women’s T20Is alongside Sophie Devine. She reached there in just 18 balls.

Ellyse Perry (70 off 46 balls), Phoebe Litchfield (52 off 19 balls), and Georgia Wareham (32 off 13 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Australia. Skipper Hayley Matthews (3/36), and Shamilia Connell (2/35) were the top performers with the ball for West Indies. Chasing a mammoth target of 213 runs on the board, the West Indies openers got off to a poor start, losing their opening batter Shabika Gajnabi inside the first three overs of the run chase to put the visitors on the back foot. Megan Schutt provided the first breakthrough for Australia.

Stafanie Taylor joined Hayley Matthews at the crease and the duo kept fighting with positive intent as they stitched a massive 174-run partnership for the second wicket to keep West Indies in the hunt for a record chase. Skipper Hayley Matthews completed her second century in the T20Is off just 53 balls. Megan Schutt cleaned up Stafanie Taylor on the last ball of her spell to pull things back a little bit for the hosts.

Jess Jonassen cleaned up skipper Hayley Matthews for a well-made 132 off just 64 balls, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 206.25, just on the cusp of a historic victory for the visitors. The West Indies eventually got over the line on the penultimate ball of the run chase to seal a momentous 7-wicket victory. Skipper Hayley Matthews (132 off 64 balls) was the top performer with the bat for West Indies. Megan Schutt (2/30) was the top performer with the ball for Australia.

West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews was awarded the Player of the Match for her brilliant all-round performance in the match. She scored (132 off 64 balls) with the bat and picked up (3/36) with the ball playing a pivotal role in helping her side chase down a record total of 213, completing a highest-ever successful run chase in women’s T20Is. Hayley Matthews (132 off 64 balls) was the highest-ever individual score for West Indies in women’s T20Is, going past Deandra Dottin’s unbeaten 112 off just 45 balls against South Africa at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2010.

 

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