West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews stepped up with a clinical all-round impact to level the T20I series and claim the Player of the Match award in the 2nd T20I against South Africa Women.
For the must-win, 3rd T20I, the visitors made a couple of changes: Tumi Sekhukhune replaced Masabata Klaas, and Sune Luus replaced Annerie Dercksen, while the home side retained the same 11 that took the field in the previous game.
Miane Smit’s maiden T20I fifty guides South Africa to a competitive total
The new pair of South African openers saw the promotion of Sune Luus alongside Tazmin Brits in a crucial series decider. The pair delivered with a brisk 29-run opening stand, after skipper Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to bat first in the final game of the series. Karishma Ramharack broke the stand, by sending Sune Luus (13 off 11 balls) back to the pavilion in the 4th over of the innings to provide the first breakthrough for the West Indies.
Skipper Laura Wolvaardt joined Tazmin Brits at the crease, and the duo stitched another crucial 28-run partnership for the 2nd wicket to take their side past the 50-run mark. Afy Fletcher picked up the big wicket of the in-form batter Tazmin Brits (20 off 24 balls) to provide the vital 2nd breakthrough for her side in the 9th over of the innings. South Africa kept losing wickets at regular intervals before they eventually posted a competitive total of 147/6 in their quota of 20 overs.
A crucial 44-run 6th wicket partnership between Miane Smit and Chloe Tryon played an instrumental role as they reached closer to the 150-run mark. Maine Smit (59* off 38 balls) provided the finishing touches for South Africa, also completing her maiden T20I half-century in the process. Skipper Laura Wolvaardt (28 off 24 balls) coming in at number 3, chipped in with a vital contribution with the bat for South Africa.
Karishma Ramharack (4-0-18-2) and Afy Fletcher (4-0-28-2) picked up a couple of wickets each, while skipper Hayley Matthews (4-0-26-1) and Shawnisha Hector (4-0-38-1) played their part with the ball for their side.
Hayley Matthews delivers a comprehensive series-clinching win
Chasing a target of 148, the West Indies lost a couple of wickets inside the powerplay, scoring just 36 runs in the process. Wicket-keeper batter Shemaine Campbelle joined skipper Hayley Matthews at the crease, and the duo stitched a much-needed, massive 82-run partnership for the 3rd wicket, taking them closer to the 120-run mark.
Sune Luus picked up the big scalp of the opposition skipper Hayley Matthews (65 off 50 balls) in the 16th over of the run chase to provide a vital 3rd breakthrough for South Africa. She completed her 19th T20I half-century before getting dismissed. The home side eventually got over the line with 6 wickets in hand and 9 balls to spare.
An unbeaten cameo from Chinelle Henry (20* off 11 balls) and a key contribution from Shemaine Campbelle (42 off 38 balls) played a crucial hand in getting their side over the line, after their skipper’s heroics with the bat. Marizanne Kapp (4-0-27-2) and Sune Luus (4-0-21-1) were the top performers with the ball for South Africa, while Ayabonga Khakha (2-0-22-1) played her part with the ball for her side.
Skipper Hayley Matthews was awarded the Player of the Match for her impressive all-round contributions, returning with match figures (4-0-26-1) with the ball and chipping in with a brisk half-century (65 off 50 balls) with the bat for her side, playing a crucial role as the West Indies clinched the three-match T20I series by a 2-1 margin. This win marks West Indies first bilateral T20I series win over South Africa since the start of 2013, ending a 12-year wait.
Hayley Matthews was also named the Player of the Series for scoring 147 runs at a strike rate of 120.49 and a mind-boggling average of 73.50 in three innings, including back-to-back half-centuries to her name, ending as the leading run-scorer of the series. She also picked up a couple of wickets with an economy of 5.58 in three innings with the ball for her side in the series.
