Matthews’ all-round performance to no avail

CARDIFF, Wales – West Indies Women’s star, Hayley Matthews, produced a tidy all-round performance but it was not enough to prevent her Welsh Fire from a four-wicket defeat to Trent Rickets in the inaugural Hundred on Friday.

Sent in at Sophia Gardens, Fire rallied to 102 all out off their allotted hundred deliveries with the right-handed Matthews top-scoring with 28 from 32 balls.

She struck two fours and a six and helped add 34 for the first wicket with Bryony Smith (27) and a further 36 for the third wicket with captain Sarah Taylor (11).

Matthews’s demise off the 61st ball of the innings, caught at short third man off seamer Heather Graham (3-14), triggered a collapse which saw Fire lose their last eight wickets for 27 runs.

New ball pacer Sammy-Jo Johnson claimed three for 24.

In reply, Rockets slumped to 16 for two off 14 balls before recovering to reach their target with eight balls to spare.

Captain Nat Sciver top-scored with 54 off 40 balls, putting on 66 for the third wicket with Katherine Brunt who made 20.

Matthews made an impact with her off-spin, claiming two for 13 from 20 deliveries.

She accounted for one of the first two wickets to fall when she hit Johnson on the back foot and trapped her lbw off the 14th ball of the innings.

The defeat was the third in five outings for Fire, leaving them fifth on four points but just four off leaders Southern Brave, who have on their roster West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor.

In five innings, Taylor is yet to be dismissed, with unbeaten scores of 45, 17, 22, 29 and 28.

Explosive West Indies Women all-rounder Deandra Dottin is also featuring in the tournament for London Spirit, and struck an unbeaten 50 off 34 balls in a seven-wicket victory over Supercharger on Monday. (CMC)