CHELMSFORD, England — In a stunning show of kind and finesse, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has catapulted to second place within the ICC Ladies’s T20 Worldwide Batting Rankings, matching her career-best place following a Participant-of-the-Collection efficiency towards England.
Matthews amassed a commanding 177 runs over three matches, highlighted by a chic, unbeaten century within the sequence opener at Canterbury. Her dominance with the bat not solely led the cost for the West Indies but additionally reestablished her as one of the crucial formidable gamers on the worldwide stage.
The 26-year-old all-rounder has now overtaken India’s Smriti Mandhana and Australia’s Tahlia McGrath to assert the No. 2 spot — a rating she final held in December 2023. She at present holds 765 ranking factors, simply 29 shy of Australia’s Beth Mooney, who stays the world’s top-ranked T20I batter.
Expertise, technique, and execution: The system behind the rise
Reflecting on her current success, Matthews credited each strategic readability and the advantage of world T20 expertise as keys to her efficiency surge.
“I believe simply having some agency plans and taking part in to my strengths always has helped me so much,” Matthews defined.
– Commercial –
“I really feel like I’ve been lucky sufficient to get to play numerous T20 cricket around the globe and achieve numerous expertise. I’ve realized much more about my recreation and simply put my plans into follow. Fortunately, since I’ve been right here, I’ve been capable of execute fairly properly.”
Matthews’ consistency and calm underneath strain have turn into hallmarks of her management — and now, her private accolades are catching up along with her affect on the sector.
Dottin and Joseph slide in rankings amid Matthews’ rise
Whereas Hayley Matthews ascended, different West Indies gamers noticed downward motion within the newest ICC rankings. Veteran power-hitter Deandra Dottin, who was absent from the England sequence, slipped 9 locations to twentieth, now holding 609 ranking factors. Rising opener Quina Joseph additionally dropped 11 spots to fortieth, ending with 492 factors.
These shifts additional underscore Matthews’ singular brilliance in the course of the England tour — a marketing campaign the place her bat did a lot of the speaking.
Focus shifts to ODI sequence in Derby
With the T20 sequence behind them, Matthews and the West Indies Ladies will now shift focus to the upcoming One-Day Worldwide (ODI) sequence towards England, starting Friday in Derby. The three-match contest will supply one other platform for Matthews to increase her glowing kind — and maybe shut the hole on the top-ranked Mooney.
