Matthews powers Windies Women to lopsided win

KARACHI, Pakistan (CMC):

A Player-of-the-Match performance from their captain Hayley Matthews drove West Indies Women to a 113-run win against hosts Pakistan Women in the first ICC Women’s Championship One-day International yesterday.

The 25-year-old Barbadian all-rounder carried her bat for her fifth ODI hundred, a career-best, undefeated 140 from 150 balls that included 15 fours and one six and powered the Caribbean side to 269 for eight after they decided to bat in the 50 overs-a-side match at the National Stadium.

Matthews then spearheaded the bowling of the West Indies Women taking three for 17 from six overs with her flighty off-spin, and the Pakistanis were bundled out for 136 in 35.5 overs to hand the visitors a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The result meant that the Caribbean side earned two points in the 10-team ICC Women’s Championship table towards direct qualification for next year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup to be staged in India.

Matthews’ side now have 10 points from 13 matches, and they are ninth in the standings with plenty of work to do to try to become one of the five teams that directly qualify for the World Cup along with the hosts.

West Indies Women were one for one in the third over after wicketkeeper-opener Rashada Williams was caught and bowled by Sadia Iqbal for one, and they limped to 43 for one at the close of the first Power Play.

But Matthews and her deputy Shemaine Campbelle stepped up the momentum in a second wicket stand of 102 that was the rock upon which the Caribbean side built their innings – and there was little substance and stability from the rest of the batting.

Campbelle made 45 and all-rounder Chinelle Henry got 23, but none of the visitors’ remaining batsmen reached 20, with left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, who opened the bowling, and leg-spinner Tuba Hassan the most successful bowlers for Pakistan Women with two wickets apiece.

Henry made the breakthrough for West Indies Women when she held a return catch to dismiss opener Sidra Ameen for one in the second over, and fellow pacer Shamilia Connell got the experienced Bismah Maroof caught behind for seven in the fifth over.

The Caribbean side restricted the Pakistanis to 53 for two at the end of the first Power Play, and Matthews triggered a slump when she got opposition captain Nida Dar caught behind for 19 and finished off the run out of opener Muneeba Ali for 22.

West Indies Women continued to chip away at the home team’s batting with leg-spinner Afy Fletcher and left-arm spinner Zaida James taking two wickets apiece, but Tuba made 25 and wicketkeeper-batsman Najiha Alvi made 20 in a stand of 37 for the seventh wicket to briefly frustrate the visitors.

The second ODI will take place on Sunday at the same venue, where the third ODI will be played two days later.