Matthews stars for Windies Women
Stylish opener Hayley Matthews carved out a classy maiden oneday international hundred as West Indies thrashed South Africa by 115 runs to square the three-match ICC Women’s Championship series 11 on Saturday.
Playing in the decisive day/night contest, West Indies piled up a venuerecord 292 for five off their 50 overs with the 20-year-old Matthews stroking 117 - the first hundred in the women’s game at the storied Kensington Oval.
In reply, South Africa failed to recover from a rocky start and were bowled out for 177 in the 43rd over, with captain Dane van Niekerk topscoring with 77 and 19year-old opener Laura Wolvaardt chipping in with 54.
All-rounder Deandra Dottin followed up her earlier whirlwind half-century with a spell of four for 36 with her zippy medium pace, allowing the Windies to clinch a share of honours in the series after losing the opener last Sunday by 40 runs.
Wednesday’s second match was abandoned as a no-result due to rain.
Opting to bat first, West Indies suffered an early setback when left-hander Kycia Knight played around one from pacer Marizanne Kapp (4-55) and was lbw with the total on 12 in the third over.
However, Matthews and captain Stafanie Taylor, who stroked 46, combined in a record stand of 176 for the second wicket, to repair the innings and lay the platform for the imposing total. Playing before her home crowd with her parents present, Matthews took centre stage, facing 146 balls and stroking
17 delightful boundaries.
TRIPLE FIGURED
Hitting the ball cleanly and powerfully, she raced to her half-century off 49 deliveries and reached triple figures off her 126th delivery. Taylor, meanwhile, struggled at the start of her innings before blossoming to strike four fours in an 80ball knock. When she drove Kapp to cover in the 37th over, it paved the way for Dottin’s arrival and the flamboyant right-hander gave the innings new thrust in a cameo 59, which lasted 44 balls and included four fours and three sixes. In reply, South Africa stumbled to 10 for two in the fifth over after losing opener Lizelle Lee (2) and Luus (4) cheaply, in a stifling new-ball spell from quicks Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman. However, van Niekerk and Wolvaardt pulled the innings around in a third-wicket stand worth 108, which handed the South Africans hope. Both teams will now turn their attention to the opening Twenty20 International of the five-match series which bowls off today at 2 p.m.