Best of all time in women’s T20I

SYDNEY, Australia (CMC):

West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews slammed an incredible 132 and led her side in the highest successful run chase of all time in women’s Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) against hosts and world champions Australia Women yesterday.

The 25-year-old all-rounder cracked 20 fours and five sixes from 64 balls in a breathtaking assault on the Australian bowling, and the Caribbean side successfully chased 213 to secure a seven-wicket win in the second T20I at North Sydney Oval to level the three-match series 1-1.

It came after Matthews took three for 36 from her allotted four overs with her off-spin when Australia Women piled up 212 for six after they were put in to bat and made her a shoo-in for a seventh straight Player-of-the-Match award in T20s.

Matthews, who made 99 not out in the first T20I on Sunday at the same venue, followed up with an explosive second T20I hundred that surpassed fellow Barbadian all-rounder Deandra Dottin for the highest score in this format for West Indies Women.

Dottin held the record for the past 13 years after her amazing 112 not out off 40 balls against South Africa Women at Warner Park in St Kitts at the 2010 Women’s T20I World Cup that was the first T20 hundred from a man or woman on the international stage.

Matthews also took down another Dottin record for the most runs in boundaries in a Women’s T20I, going past her compatriot’s seven fours and nine sixes against the Proteas in that World Cup innings in Basseterre.

Fortune favoured Matthews on 30 when Megan Schutt dropped her at deep point off pacer Annabel Sutherland before Phoebe Litchfield, the Aussies batting hero from earlier in the day, put down a regulation chance at cover when she was on 87 off leg-spinner Georgia Wareham.

To a standing ovation before a modest crowd, Matthews brought up her hundred from 53 balls when she drove a delivery from Schutt, bowling her right-arm medium-pace, through backward point before taking a four and a six off the next two balls.

Her predecessor as West Indies Women’s captain, Stafanie Taylor, supported with 59 from 41 balls and shared a record-breaking 174 for the second wicket to put the Caribbean side firmly on track before Megan Schutt bowled her with 28 needed from 18 balls to give Australia a sliver of hope.

The stand was the highest for West Indies Women for any wicket in women’s T20Is, breaking the record of 162 unbroken between Matthews and Chedean Nation against Ireland four years ago in Dublin.

Matthews carried her side to within reach of victory with her dizzying batting, hitting Jess Jonassen for four consecutive fours in the penultimate over, before the left-arm spinner bowled her behind her back with the penultimate ball of the same over.

West Indies needed nine from the last seven balls of the match, and Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbelle, both not out on four, made sure that the efforts of Matthews and Taylor were not ruined, scrambling two to long-on from the off-spin of Ashleigh Gardner to seal the result with one ball left.

The innings from Matthews topped the efforts with the bat for Australia of all-rounder Ellyse Perry and Litchfield.

Perry, who did not bowl due to a longstanding knee injury, was the cornerstone for the Aussies with 70 from 46 balls, and Litchfield smashed 52 from 19 balls and equalled the record for the fastest half-century in women’s T20Is set by Sophie Devine of New Zealand in a whirlwind finish for the hosts.

Pacer Shamilia Connell supported Matthews with the ball, taking two for 35 from her four overs, but fellow Barbadian pacer Aaliyah Alleyne conceded 53 in her allotted four overs – the most expensive spell for West Indies Women in T20Is – beating 44 conceded by Nation against hosts India Women seven years ago in Vijayawada.