Women’s T20 WC: ‘Wanted to get off to a great start,’ says Matthews on game-turning spell after WI’s win

Bristol: West Indies captain Hayley Matthews credited her side’s aggressive start with the ball after guiding the Caribbean outfit to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the County Ground in Bristol on Sunday.

Named Player of the Match following her decisive spell with the new ball, where she scalped three wickets in her first two overs, Matthews said the team’s plan was to strike early against a Sri Lankan batting unit featuring several left-handers, a strategy that ultimately laid the foundation for West Indies’ third successive win in the tournament.

Matthews removed three of Sri Lanka’s top-order batters inside the opening three overs, leaving the opposition reeling before the West Indies bowlers completed the job by dismissing them for 98.

Reflecting on her approach with the new ball, Matthews said taking wickets in the powerplay had been central to the team’s plans.

“I had the opportunity to start things off with the ball, and yeah, I felt like I wanted to hopefully get the team off to a really good start, and we knew early wickets were going to be crucial against a team like Sri Lanka. The wicket really favoured the spin style of bowling a lot. Thankfully I was able to put it on the spot and get a couple early on,” she said during the post-match presentation.

The conditions also influenced West Indies’ selection, with off-spinner Ashmini Munisar handed her first appearance of the tournament as the side opted to field four spinners. Matthews explained the decision was shaped by Sri Lanka’s batting lineup and praised the youngster for making an immediate impact.

“Looking at the lineup of Sri Lanka, they do have a lot of left-handers within their side. And we felt like someone like Ashmini could make a massive difference with her off-spin and the way she bowls. So she came in today and performed wonderfully as well. And yeah, kudos to her. I think coming in for her first World Cup match and playing how she did,” Matthews added.

Despite losing five wickets while chasing a modest target of 99, Matthews insisted there was never any concern in the dressing room about the outcome. West Indies reached the target with nearly four overs to spare, with Stafanie Taylor steering the chase after a brief middle-order wobble.

“It’s okay. At the end of the day, we got over the line. I don’t feel like there was any point in time where we thought we weren’t going to get any runs. Yes, we lost five wickets, but we were still in a very comfortable position throughout the innings. And I certainly feel like if we’re batting the way we are right now or playing the way we are right now and getting over the line when we have some of our batters peaking at the right time, it might be good for us.”

The Player of the Match award carried added significance for Matthews, whose father was once again present in the stands to watch her lead the side.

“He’s always here at the ground supporting. So yeah, good that I could get one in front of him,” she stated.

IANS