Matthews’ century helps Windies Women complete sweep

Captain Hayley Matthews carved out her second hundred of the series as West Indies Women completed their whitewash of Pakistan Women with an 88-run victory in the final One-Day International on Tuesday.

Choosing to bat first at National Bank Stadium, the right-handed opener lashed 141 off 149 deliveries to power her side up to 278 for six off their 50 overs.

Former captain Stafanie Taylor chipped in with 47 off 62 balls while vice-captain Shemaine Campbelle struck 38 off 58 deliveries.

Matthews then weighed in with her off spin, finishing with two for 26 to help limit the hosts to 190 all out in the 48th over. Seamer Aaliyah Alleyne (2-10) and off-spinner Taylor (2-29) also claimed two wickets each.

Muneeba Ali top-scored with 38 from 58 balls while Aliya Riaz struck 36 from 41 balls, but Pakistan lost wickets steadily and failed to build partnerships.

The result came against the backdrop of the visitors’ 113-run win in the opener and their narrow two-wicket victory in the second ODI, helping them complete a second straight 3-0 clean sweep of Pakistan.

Matthews, who struck 140 not out in the first game and 44 in the second, ended with 325 runs at an average of 162.5, while taking six wickets at 14 runs apiece to be adjudged Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series.

“Our goal in this series was to come out here and try to get six [ICC Championship] points so we’re really happy that as a group we were able to come out there and do that,” Matthews said.

“And on top of that, the way we were able to win the games – how convincing it was – just adds something else onto it as well.”

The 26-year-old anchored a series of partnerships which got West Indies up to their second 250-plus total of the series.

She put on 37 for the first wicket with Rashada Williams (9), 93 for the second with Campbelle and a further 111 with Taylor.

All told, Matthews struck 19 fours and brought up her sixth ODI hundred off 117 deliveries with a single to mid on at the start of the 39th over.

She was part of a cluster of three wickets which went down for nine runs as West Indies Women tried to up the tempo towards the back end, caught at deep mid-wicket in the 47th over off seamer Fatima Sana (2-67).

West Indies Women then made early breakthroughs, Sadaf Shamas playing on to medium pacer Chinelle Henry for 10 in the sixth over and opening partner Sidra Ameen missing an inswinger and having her stumps rattled for nine by speedster Shamilia Connell in the next over.

Tottering on 22 for two, the hosts were lifted by Muneeba and the experienced Bismah Maroof (19), the pair posting 45 for the third wicket.

When Bismah edged a drive off off-spinner Karishma Ramharack and was taken at slip by Matthews in the 19th over, Pakistan Women wobbled again and quickly found themselves 95 for five in the 28th over.

Riaz, who belted three fours and a six, tried to rally the chase in a 41-run, sixth wicket partnership with Fatima Sana (23) but once the latter drove Taylor low to Henry at mid on, the innings collapsed again.

(CMC)