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Matthews leads Windies to T20I series-levelling win over Proteas Women

football22 June 2025 17:41| © MWP
By:Ross Roche
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A superb half century from West Indies women captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a series-levelling six-wicket win over the Proteas Women in the second T20 International at the Three Ws Oval in Cave Hill, Barbados, on Sunday.

Matthews was a class apart of all of the other batters on the day as she spearheaded the chase, cracking an unbeaten 63 off 56 balls, striking five fours and a six, as they reached the below par target of 114 in the final over.

In the visitors' innings they found runs hard to come by, as only top scorer Annerie Dercksen, 21* off 17 balls (2x4), scored at above a run-a-ball, while Nadine de Klerk (20) was the only other batter to get out of the teens as they scored just 113-6 in their 20 overs.

The Windies were led by their spinners as Afy Fletcher (2-13) and Karishma Ramharack (2-25), starred, while Matthews was also impressive picking up 1-15 in her four overs.

Matthews was then assisted at the top of the order by Qiana Joseph (17) and at the end of the chase by Jannillea Glasgow (15*) as they got over the line with four balls to spare.

“It was a bit of a tough wicket to bat on today. We probably didn’t assess (that) early enough, and probably needed a player like Hayley to bat through the innings and kind of hold things together, and we could have pushed 130 then I think,” said Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt after the match.

“I have to commend the bowlers for taking it so deep in that second half with them only needing 114, but just too little (to defend) in the end.”

The teams now head into a series decider at the same ground on Monday night, where the Proteas will be trying to add the T20I series to their ODI series triumph over the Windies.

“It is going to be a very exciting series decider. I think we will reflect on what we did bad in this game. We won’t look into it too much, we will just talk about those little one per centres and come back full of energy tomorrow,” said Wolvaardt.

MATTHEWS TAKES CHARGE

Earlier in the match the Windies chase got off to a slow, but steady start as Matthews and Joseph shared in a 41-run opening partnership.

The attacking Joseph always looked uncomfortable after hitting two fours off her first three balls, as she only managed nine runs off her next 18, before she tried to go big off Ayabonga Khaka but ended up skying the ball to Masabata Klaas at short third in the eighth over.

The Windies reached the halfway mark on 47-1, but in the next over Shawnisha Hector (3) drove Klaas to Wolvaardt at cover as they slipped to 50-2.

Nonkululeko Mlaba, who was the pick of the SA bowlers with 2-17 in her four overs, then got in on the action, having Shemaine Campbelle (7) caught by Wolvaardt in the 13th, and trapped Chinelle Henry (3) LBW at the start of the 15th as the Windies slipped to 77-4.

But Matthews was joined by Glasgow and they steadied things before easing to the win with an unbeaten 39-run stand.

PROTEA  BATTERS STRUGGLE

At the start of the match the Proteas lost the toss and were put in to bat, with their innings getting off to a decent start as Tazmin Brits (14) and Wolvaardt (16), shared in a 29-run opening partnership.

But just as they were looking to get on top Wolvaardt sliced a ball from Jahzara Claxton straight to Ramharack at point in the fifth over.

In the next over Marizanne Kapp tried to loft Matthews over mid off, but only managed to find Claxton on the circle to fall for a third- ball duck, leaving the visitors in trouble on 31-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Things didn’t get better heading to the halfway stage as Brits tried to up the ante, but was caught on the boundary by Henry off Fletcher, leaving them on 40-3 at the start of the ninth over, which became 53-3 by the end of the 10th.

De Klerk and Miane Smit (13), tried to rebuild with a 29-run fourth- wicket stand, but both fell in quick succession as Fletcher had De Klerk caught by a diving Matthews at mid off, and Smit was bowled by Ramharack, as they slipped to 71-5 at the start of the 14th.

Chloe Tryon (4) was next to fall, caught at deep midwicket by Realeanna Grimmond off Ramharack, with the Proteas in deep trouble on 79-6 at the start of the 16th.

That brought Dercksen in and along with Karabo Meso (14*), they shared in an unbeaten 34-run partnership off 32 balls as they crucially got them over the 100-run mark, but it wasn’t enough in the end.

PROTEAS WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Miane Smit, Karabo Meso (wk), Annerie Dercksen, Chloe Tryon, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka

WEST INDIES WOMEN: Hayley Matthews (capt), Qiana Joseph, Realeanna Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Jannillea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Jahzara Claxton, Shawnisha Hector, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack

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