Led by their captain Hayley Matthews and with the invaluable support of Stafanie Taylor, West Indies achieved an astonishing world-record T20I chase, leaving Australia stunned at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.
Initially, it seemed like Phoebe Litchfield would seal the spotlight as she matched the record for the fastest fifth in women’s T20I, achieving it in just 18 balls. Little did she know, a remarkable performance was yet to unfold.
Matthews, who had been left stranded at 99 in the series opener, embarked on a scintillating journey to a 53-ball century this time around. Her magnificent 312 off 64 balls, which included four consecutive boundaries off Jess Jonassen in the penultimate over, brought West Indies within touching distance of a historic win.
Campbelle, Henry secure victory in final over
With just 9 needed off 7 deliveries, Shemaine Campbelle and Chinelle Henry calmly secured victory in the final over against Ash Gardner, who was at a disadvantage due to Australia’s slow over-rate.
Taylor, despite a sluggish start, played a crucial role with 59 off 41 balls, forming a game-changing partnership of 174 runs in 14 overs with Matthews. The Australian bowlers were left clueless, and their missed opportunities, having dropped Matthews twice at 30 and 87, proved costly. Matthews consistently exploited an unprotected off-side boundary, with 77 runs coming from cover drives, and a total of 110 runs in four sixes.
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In the grand scheme of things, this match became the highest-scoring women’s T20I in history, accumulating 425 runs in total. Matthews received her seventh consecutive player-of-the-match award, further solidifying her superstar status.
Mooney, Perry stage 70-ball recovery partnership
West Indies set the tone early in the game when Alyssa Healy was spectacularly caught at backward point by Campbelle for a first-ball dismissal. The early wicket was followed by the excellent delivery from Matthews that bowled Tahlia McGrath, reducing Australia to 7-2.
Despite this rocky start, Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry staged a recovery with a 70-ball partnership. However, quick wickets soon followed, leaving Australia at 89 for four when Litchfield entered the fray.
Litchfield’s explosive performance, featuring a series of sixes, left a mark, and her partnership with George Wareham produced a brutal 66-run onslaught of 22 balls.
This powerful finish resulted in 88 runs from the last five overs, a record where complete data is available, but astonishingly, it culminated in a losing effort.
The match will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most thrilling T20I in women’s cricket history.
