We need to improve from top to bottom: Hayley Matthews

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews admitted on Sunday that her side’s batting was a huge concern and needs to improve from “top to bottom”, as it was not able to produce big partnerships. Batting has been Windies achilles heel in women’s T20Is for a while right now.

Their middle-order woes has hampered their performances over the last couple of years. Since January 2021, the middle order (number four to seven) has been averaging 12.12, which is the lowest among the full teams in T20I cricket. In their first match of the women’s T20I tri-series involving South Africa and India, Shemaine Campbelle, batting at number four, scored 11 off mere 24 runs that the middle order made. Matthews admitted that the middle order has been disappointing, but bigger contributions are needed from the top order.

“We are missing a lot of big players,” Matthews was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying after West Indies’ 44-run defeat against South Africa. “Players like Chinelle Henry, who we usually have in the lower middle order, are capable of hitting the ball out of the park and even Chedean Nation, who played today, but they have just not been able to get going as yet. So yeah, it is the same story all around.” “We need to improve from the top right down to the bottom of our batting line-up in the way that we are playing now. It is clear we are not being able to put big enough partnerships. At the same time, we have a lot of injuries, with key batters out,” said Matthews.

Brittney Cooper, who returned to the side ahead of the tri-nation series, having last played a T20I in September 2021, opened the batting as Windies added 32 runs for the opening wicket in their chase of 142. She was in good touch and hit three fours before being dismissed for 14 off 13 balls. “For now it is just about the physio and medical people and the coaches managing the load with Stafanie,” Matthews said.