The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday that West Indies Women’s captain, Hayley Matthews, has been named the Women’s Player of the Month for October.
The 25-year-old all-rounder emerged as the victor among the shortlisted candidates, which included Nahida Akhter of Bangladesh and Amelia Kerr of New Zealand. Matthews earned this recognition for her exceptional contributions during the West Indies Women’s Twenty20 International series against host nation Australia.
Matthews, who holds the top rank among all-rounders in the Women’s T20I Player Rankings, consistently posed a challenge to the Australian team with her powerful batting and crucial wickets. Her outstanding performance earned her both the Player of the Series award and her second Player of the Match prize.
Matthews expresses gratitude
Upon receiving the award, Matthews expressed her gratitude, stating, “I’m very grateful to have received the ICC Women’s Player-of-the-Month award for October. I love pulling on the West Indies jersey. Every time I do wear that maroon and gold, it definitely adds an extra layer where you can go out there and perform well, not only for yourself and for the team, but in knowing how much cricket means to the people of the Caribbean and how much it can bring people together.”
Matthews showcased her batting prowess when she carried her bat and fell just one run short of a century, scoring 99 runs, in the first T20I against Australia on October 1 at North Sydney Oval. Despite her remarkable effort, West Indies Women suffered an eight-wicket defeat.
In the following T20I, Matthews delivered a remarkable performance by scoring an incredible 132 runs, leading her team in the highest successful run chase ever recorded in women’s T20Is against the reigning world champions. Her innings included 20 fours and five sixes from 64 balls, and the West Indies secured a seven-wicket victory, leveling the three-match series 1-1.
All-round skills
Matthews’ contributions were not limited to her batting. She also displayed her off-spin skills by taking three wickets for 36 runs in her allotted four overs when Australia Women posted a formidable 212 for six after being put in to bat. This stellar performance earned her a seventh successive Player-of-the-Match award in T20s.
In her final match of the series, Matthews continued to shine, scoring 79 runs off 40 balls. Despite her efforts, West Indies Women were defeated by 47 runs, surrendering the series to Australia 2-1.
Reflecting on her performances, Matthews emphasized the joy of bringing smiles to the faces of people in the Caribbean, saying, “It was pretty special going out there in Australia and being able to perform the way that I did, but knowing how many people’s faces I was able to put a smile on back home in the Caribbean, that’s what means the most to me.”
Matthews received the accolade through a voting process that included input from global fans registered at ICC-cricket.com and a panel of experts comprising ICC Hall of Famers, former international players, and media representatives.
