West Indies captain Hayley Matthews on Monday played a blistering knock of 132 runs off 64 balls to chase down the biggest T20I target in Women’s cricket history against Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in the 2nd T20I of 3-match series.
How the game unfolded
The Aussies put up a total of 212 batting first. Young Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield equalled the fastest half-century in women’s T20I history, reaching the minor milestone in just 18 deliveries. The 20-year-old was playing just her fourth T20I. She smacked three boundaries and five sixes in a career-best performance, while Ellyse Perry top-scored for the Australians with 70 runs off 46 balls. These performances ensured the Aussies finished their innings at 212, the highest ever total for Australia against West Indies in T20s.
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The West Indies got off to a poor start, losing one of their openers with just 11 runs on the board. Just when it looked like the Aussies would comfortably win the match and the series, West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews started smashing the Aussie bowlers all over the park. Matthews has been in good form in the series, scoring 99 runs in the first T20I. She carried her form in the second T20I as well, stitching a 174 run partnership with Stafanie Taylor.
The West Indies captain smashed 20 boundaries and five sixes as Australia were left to rue some of the missed chances that might have turned the game around in their favour.
Matthews brought up a fifty in just 25 deliveries and went on to reach her ton in 53 balls. The West Indies still needed 25 runs off two overs. Matthews showed no signs of nerves as she hit four consecutive boundaries in the penultimate over.
However, she was dismissed with a well-executed yorker in the fifth ball, but the damage had been done. In the end, the West Indies won the match with a ball to spare.
With the series drawn a 1-1, the third T20I between the two teams will be the series-decider.
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