West Indies Captain Hayley Matthews is determined to make a strong finish in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) after facing difficulties in the first 10 games of the season while representing Melbourne Renegades.
Matthews, a right-handed batter who is also leading the Renegades in this campaign, has scored a total of 139 runs from 10 innings, averaging just under 13 runs, with her highest score being 32. This top score came during a narrow four-run loss to cross-town rivals Melbourne Stars.
In the recent match at Junction Oval, Matthews shifted down the batting order from her usual opening position to number four, and she hopes that this change in position will yield positive results.
Eight consecutive losses
“It was nice to get out there and have a bit of space and a bit of time in the middle of the innings. It would’ve been great if I’d been able to take it home in the end, but at the same time, it’s a good start for me late in the tournament. Hopefully, I can build on this and contribute more to the Renegades in the remaining matches of the season,” she said.
Matthews’ struggles have mirrored the Renegades’ overall performance, as the franchise has suffered eight consecutive losses and won only one of their 10 games this season. They currently occupy the bottom position in the eight-team league with just two points and have already been eliminated from contention for the championship game.
The recent loss to the Stars was particularly disheartening for Matthews, who highlighted the significance of the rivalry between the Renegades and the Stars. She commented, “Playing with the Renegades for two years, playing against the Stars is definitely a big rivalry, and it’s a bit disappointing not to get over the [line] in a close game.
10-wicket defeat to the Perth Scorchers
“But at the same time, we’ve got another opportunity in a week-and-a-half or so to look at what we didn’t do well and come back strong against them. We’ve got to move on quickly and prepare for our upcoming matches.”
The loss to the Stars followed a 10-wicket defeat to the Perth Scorchers, making it a challenging weekend for the Renegades. Despite these setbacks, Matthews expressed pride in her team’s ability to bounce back. She said, “Playing against the Scorchers [on Saturday], they had a convincing win with both bat and ball, and it was not our best game. But to come back strongly and restrict them to under 150 was great to see. Although I would’ve loved to chase the target, it was really good to see contributions from all over the team.”
The Melbourne Renegades are scheduled to play their next game on Friday against the Brisbane Heat.
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