Key Points

Hayley Matthews smashed a match-winning 65 to guide West Indies to a historic T20I series win over South Africa. The victory ended a 12-year drought against the Proteas in bilateral T20Is. Despite Miane Smit's fighting 59*, South Africa fell short as Matthews dominated the chase. Captain Laura Wolvaardt praised Matthews' brilliance while acknowledging her team's bowling errors.

Key Points: Hayley Matthews Fires West Indies to Historic T20I Series Win Over Proteas

  • Matthews' 65 with 9 fours and a six sealed the chase
  • West Indies break 12-year drought vs Proteas
  • Miane Smit's 59* in vain for South Africa
  • Chinelle Henry steers hosts to victory
2 min read

Caribbean all-rounder Hayley Matthews' fifty broke a 12-year drought, with a series-clinching six-wicket victory against Proteas

Hayley Matthews' brilliant 65 powers West Indies to first T20I series win over South Africa in 12 years, sealing victory with a six-wicket triumph.

"Hayley played so well, it's difficult to get her out - Laura Wolvaardt"

Barbados June 24

Hayley Matthews is once again the star as the West Indies broke a 12-year drought with a series-clinching six-wicket victory over South Africa in the third T20I at Cave Hill on Monday, according to the ICC website.

Matthews scored a superb half-century to pace the West Indies' run chase as the Caribbean side chased down South Africa's total of 147/6 with nine deliveries remaining.

It helped the West Indies register a 2-1 series triumph over the Proteas, which was the first time they had defeated South Africa in a bilateral T20I series since the start of 2013.

Youngster Miane Smit (59 not out) hit her own half-century in a polished display earlier in the day to help South Africa post a decent total, but Matthews was in fine touch in reply as she hit nine fours and one massive six to put the West Indies within touch of victory.

Matthews fell to Sune Luus for 65 in the 16th over to give South Africa some hope, only for Chinelle Henry (20 not out) to show her experience and guide the hosts home.

While disappointed to lose the series, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said there were plenty of positives for her side to take from the tour of the West Indies.

"Disappointed about today's result, of course, particularly as I thought we had enough runs," Laura Wolvaardt said as quoted from the ICC website.

"But we didn't get our bowling lines right - they scored too many runs square of the wicket, and we got a few small things wrong."

"But Hayley played so well, it's difficult to get her out. Overall, on the tour, I thought we unearthed some good young talent who put their hands up and made a good contribution to the team," she added.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

Here are 5 diverse Indian perspective comments on the cricket match:
P
Priya K.
What a brilliant performance by Hayley Matthews! 🏏 As an Indian cricket fan, it's so inspiring to see women's cricket getting such exciting matches. The West Indies team has really improved over the years. Hope our Indian team takes notes for future matches against South Africa!
R
Rahul S.
Great to see WI women's cricket coming back strong after 12 years! But honestly, the fielding standards from both teams looked below par compared to what we see in Indian women's cricket. South Africa really missed some crucial catches that cost them the match.
A
Ananya M.
Matthews is such a treat to watch! Her batting reminds me of Harmanpreet Kaur's aggressive style. This series shows how competitive women's cricket has become globally. BCCI should organize more bilateral series between India and West Indies - would be great for the sport!
V
Vikram J.
While Matthews was outstanding, let's not forget young Miane Smit's performance for SA. At just 19, scoring 59* against quality bowling is impressive. The future of women's cricket looks bright across all nations. Hope Indian selectors are watching these emerging talents!
N
Neha P.
As someone who follows women's cricket closely, I must say the commentary and coverage still needs improvement. These matches deserve the same hype as men's cricket. The skill level is there, but the presentation needs work. Kudos to both teams for an exciting series though! 👏

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