Australia have fallen sufferer to the best ladies’s Twenty20 run chase of all-time, with a giant Hayley Matthews century serving to the West Indies run down a goal of 213 at North Sydney Oval.
In a mesmerising effort to stage the three-match sequence at 1-1, Matthews blitzed 132 from 64 balls because the West Indies pulled off the victory with one ball and 7 wickets to spare.
Stefanie Taylor hit 59 off 41 balls earlier than being bowled by Megan Schutt with 28 runs required from three overs to present Australia a late glimmer of hope.
Matthews then hit 16 runs from the nineteenth over from Jess Jonassen earlier than being bowled attempting to comb the spinner.
That left Chinelle Henry and Shermane Campbelle needing eight from Ashleigh Gardner’s final over, sealing the win when Campbelle took a fast two to lengthy on.
“I don’t reckon any days of cricket have ever been like that for me,” Matthews stated.
“Today was quite incredible. I can’t find the words.”
The efforts topped Phoebe Litchfield’s for Australia, who hit an 18-ball half-century to equal Sophie Devine’s report for the quickest in ladies’s T20 internationals.
But it was to be Matthews’ night time.
The right-hander powered the ball by means of and over cover-point at will, punishing Australia each time they went too extensive and full on Monday.
She hit 5 sixes and 20 fours, with Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath and Georgia Wareham and Darcie Brown all going at greater than 10 an over.
Eleven of her fours and three of her sixes got here between backward level and canopy, as Australia opted to not put a fielder in that place on the rope for almost all of the innings whereas making an attempt to bowl straighter.
“When it comes down to the execution piece, we were just a little bit too wide for her,” captain Alyssa Healy stated.
“Off stump is probably too wide for her at the moment, so we probably just need to look at that.
“It’s laborious to defend scores right here. When two gamers get happening a wicket like that … It’s fairly laborious to cease.”
Matthews brought up her century off 53 balls when she drove Schutt through backward point, before also dispatching her next two balls to the boundary.
It came after the 25-year-old also took 3-36 with the ball, taking a seventh straight player-of-the-match award in T20s after also hitting 99 in Sunday’s loss to Australia.
Australia did offer some lives.
Matthews was dropped on 30 by Schutt at deep point, before Litchfield put down a regulation chance at cover when she was on 87.
Earlier, the West Indies had started the day in hot fashion when Campbelle leapt high to catch Healy first ball at backward point.
Matthews then bowled McGrath in the next over to make it 2-7, before Ellyse Perry hit 70 off 46 to steady the innings for Australia.
And when 20-year-old Litchfield struck three sixes with some phenomenal stroke-play in her unbeaten 52 from 19, Australia regarded headed for victory with 6-212 earlier than Matthews’ heroics.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
