Barbados-born Hayley Matthews’ outstanding performances with both bat and ball was one of
the major contributing factors to the West Indies 3-0 sweep of their recently concluded ODI
Series against Pakistan. Matthews compiled 132 runs from 3 innings batted to emerge as the
West Indies second-highest run-scorer behind Deandra Dottin’s three-match aggregate of 170.
Matthews’ recorded scores of 57, 26, and 49 in the three innings she batted during the Series. Her 132
runs Series tally was also punctuated by 18 boundaries.
Matthews was also the West Indies’ highest wicket-taker with 7 wickets captured at an average of
14.00 with a 3.37 economy rate. Her 7 wickets tally also included a career-best 4/26 in
the second of the three matches played, victory in which gave the West Indies an
unassailable 2-0 Series lead. The West Indies subsequently also won the third and
final match for a clean sweep 3-0 Series victory.
Matthews; outstanding all-round performance in the Pakistan series has also allowed
her to make some significant gains in the latest ICC Women’s ODI Rankings across
all departments. Matthews jumped to the 10th spot in the latest ICC Women’s
ODI Rankings for all-rounders, for the very first time in her career.
Matthews has targeted putting together a string of consistent
performances, with the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifiers just on
the horizon. The 24-year-old has, however, managed to put together
standout performances before. Her career-best score of 117, in 2018,
was for instance followed by scores of 17, 17, 6, 26, and 16 in subsequent
One Day Internationals, before improving again to make 49 and 100
not out.
On the back of her recent performances in Pakistan, the player is
hoping to maintain her current run of consistency heading into the
World Cup qualifiers and beyond.
“I think for me it’s going to come down to consistency. I feel like for a lot of tours
I have one big score or two big scores and then I’m probably dry for the rest of
the season,” Here in Pakistan and moving into Zimbabwe my key focus is going to be putting
down good performances more consistently. I don’t want these games to be
just the entire series, I want it to be the start of something really big for me.
Hopefully, I can take this form into the World Cup qualifiers as well.
Matthews told Jamaica’s SportsMax media. “
Matthew has been enjoying a new position
in the team’s batting line-up, coming in
at the 5tin the middle order as opposed
to her traditional position of opener. She,
however, remains unsure as to whether the
change will be a permanent or temporary
one but insists she remains ready to assist
the team in any capacity.“
“It’s a good role change I’m not
exactly sure how long I’ll be
playing this role for but at the
same time I’m just trying to do
as much as I can for the team as
possible and if me batting at five
is what the team needs from me
right now…then it’s exactly what
I’ll do.”
West Indies Women’s captain Stefanie
Taylor and Vice Captain Deandra Dottin also
had outstanding batting performances
during the Series. Taylor became just the
third woman in history to score 5,000 ODI career
runs, as she made a magnificent seventh century to
lead West Indies Women to a superb victory in the
3rd and final ODI. The star captain finished on 102
not out as the visitors reached 226-4 to overcome
Pakistan Women’s posted 225-7.
Earlier Deandra Dottin had set the tone for the West
Indies outstanding Series batting with a superb
century in the first ODI, Dottin’s century along with
Matthews’ brilliant all-round performance had
secured a much-coveted win for the Caribbean
visitors.
Dottin’s well-made 132 off 146 balls helped the West
Indies to score 253-8 off their 50 overs after being
asked to bat first at the Karachi National Stadium.
She hit 18 fours and two sixes and laid the platform
for the challenging total. It was her second ODI ton,
surpassing her previous best of 104 not out against
Pakistan in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup at
Leicester.
Apart from Matthews, Shakera Selman was the West
Indies Women’s other leading wicket-taker during
the Series. Selman captured 5 wickets in three
innings at an average of 19.40, The economy rate for
her 27 overs bowled was 3.59