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Hayley Matthews scored an unbeaten half century to lead West Indies Women past South Africa Women in the second T20I. (Photo via CMC)
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies Women’s inspirational captain Hayley Matthews played yet another match-winning innings to lead her side to a six-wicket win over South Africa Women in the second T20I on Sunday.
Playing at the 3W’s Oval, Cave Hill Campus, West Indies Women produced a stellar performance in the field to restrict the visitors to 113 for six in their 20 overs after they were sent in to bat.
Player-of-the-Match Matthews then scored a patient, unbeaten 63 – her 18th T20I half century – as the home side reached 116 for four with four balls remaining.
The result levelled the three-match series at 1-1, with Monday’s final match being the decider.
It was the home side’s effort in the field that stood out most, with their bowlers hitting the right lengths and lines while being backed up by superb fielding.
Openers Laura Wolvaardt and last game heroine Tazmin Brits got South Africa to a decent start during a 30-run partnership in five overs.
But once Jahzara Claxton dismissed the former for a run-a-ball 16, South Africa lost all their momentum.
Marizanne Kapp failed to trouble the scores, spinner Afy Fletcher accounted for the wickets of Brits and Nadine de Klerk, and Karishma Ramharack bowled Miane Smith, to see them slump to 71 for five in the 14th over.
And eight runs later Chloe Tryon was back in the pavilion after becoming Ramharack’s second wicket.
It took Annerie Derksen, who scored an unbeaten 21 off 17 balls and Karabo Meso, who finished unbeaten on 14 from 19 balls, to get South Africa past the 100 mark, with the two sharing an unbroken partnership of 34 for the seventh wicket.
Fletcher was impressive in her spell of 2-13 from four overs while Ramharack took 2-25.
Needing to score at just over five runs an over, Matthews and Qiana Joseph put on 41 runs for the first wicket inside eight overs.
When Ayabonga Khaka broke the partnership by having Joseph caught for 17 from 21 balls, debutant Shawnisha Hector (3) and Shemaine Campbelle (7), fell in quick succession to see the home side slip to 70 for three in the 13th over.
Big hitter Chinelle Henry only made three before she was adjudged lbw to Nonkululeko Mlaba as South Africa clawed their way back into the game with the score 77 for four.
However, Matthews found a reliable partner in Jannillea Glasgow, and the pair added 39 runs for the fifth wicket to get the home side over the line.
Matthews brought up her half century off 50 balls with a single in the 18th over and with 16 runs needed off the last 12 balls, Matthews hit Masabata Klaas for a six and a four in the 19th over that cost 13 runs, to reduce the equation to three runs from six balls.
Glasgow then finished the match in style by pulling the second ball of the last over, bowled by de Klerk, to the boundary.
Matthews faced 56 balls and struck five fours and one six.
Mlaba was South Africa’s best bowler with 2-17.
