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ESPNcricinfo Awards

ESPNcricinfo Awards 2023 Women's T20I batting winner: A Hayley storm hits Australia

The West Indies captain starred in the highest chase in the format

Andrew McGlashan
Andrew McGlashan
20-Feb-2024
This was an astonishing display of batting from the West Indies captain. Australia had piled up an imposing 212 for 6, and even on the run-scoring paradise that North Sydney Oval usually provides, it was a daunting prospect for the visitors. Still, Matthews had fired a warning the game before with an unbeaten 99 off 74 balls.
What transpired this time was breathtaking: she flayed the best bowling attack in the world to all corners, manipulating the ball where she wanted - although the Australians did feed her strength outside off stump.
Her fifty came from 26 balls and the century from 53 as West Indies put together a world-record T20I chase. Matthews added 174 off 88 balls for the second wicket with Stafanie Taylor, and though she fell with the job not quite done, her team-mates were able to scramble the last nine runs for a famous victory.

Key moment

On 30, in the seventh over, Matthews lofted towards deep point where Megan Schutt spilled the chance. At that moment, a West Indies victory still appeared a long shot, but soon, Matthews changed that. Just before the midway mark, she went into overdrive with a stunning array of shots. The ninth and tenth overs brought 32 runs, and it was game on.

The numbers

1 Number of women to score a century and take three wickets in the same T20I before Matthews did in this game. Deepika Rasangika of Bahrain was the first, in 2022.
110 The number of runs Matthews scored in fours and sixes in her innings.

What they said

"I don't think any days of cricket have beaten that. The leadership of the team has definitely helped me to take responsibility of my game - that along with learning and understanding my game a lot more from playing franchise and T20 cricket on the road."
Hayley Matthews
"I think it was an unbelievable knock... she's in some serious form. She gave a few chances and we let ourselves down in that department, especially in T20 it's hard to drop a player like that and expect that you're going to get away with it."
- Alyssa Healy, Australia wicketkeeper in the game

The closest contenders

Beth Mooney
74 not out vs South Africa, T20 World Cup final, Cape Town
Mooney once again stood up when it mattered for Australia - in a World Cup final. She anchored the innings with 74 off 53 as players around her, with the exception of Ash Gardner, struggled to find top gear. She made her last 25 runs off ten balls. It gave them enough to defend and earn a sixth T20I title.

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo