Birthday special: Hayley Matthews – A West Indies legend in making
Hayley Matthews is a young and promising all-rounder who has made West Indies proud with her outstanding performances on the cricket field. At just 23, Matthews has gone on to become one of the accomplished names in women’s cricket ever since she made her debut at the highest level in September 2014.
As she turns 24 on March 19, here’s a look at how impactful Hayley Matthews has been on the cricket field so far and her achievements outside cricket as she continues to churn out consistent performances for the Windies in the ongoing Women’s World Cup.
Hayley Matthews -The future legend of West Indies
The Barbados cricketer is in the form of her life in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022. In fact, she finds a mention in both the batters and bowlers lists. Hayley has so far amassed 225 runs from five matches including a century and was the top run-getter not too long ago. She currently occupies the fourth position in the list.
However, Hayley Matthews has made amends with some outstanding performances with the ball in hand and is the leading wicket-taker of the competition as of now having registered 10 scalps from five games. Her best performance came during the league match against Bangladesh on March 18 where her match-winning figures of 4/15 from her 10 overs including a maiden at an economy of 1.50 broke Bangladesh’s backbone as they were bundled out for 136 in the final over chasing a paltry 141. The promising all-rounder could well be adjudged the Player of the Tournament should she keep on showcasing consistent performances like these.
Cricket is in her blood. In fact, her father Mike Matthews was a number four batter and an off-spinner for Pickwick Cricket Club and apart from that had also played in the Barbados Under 19 team. Apart from cricket, Hayley Matthews has proved her mettle in athletics as well. In fact, the youngster is an active javelin throw player and has represented Barbados in numerous international tournaments.
The Caribbean all-rounder has gone on to win silver, bronze and gold medals in the U17 and U18 categories. The competitions include the CARIFTA Games in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively as well as 2014 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics.
For the West Indies to go all the way, Matthews will have to continue shining in both aspects and as she turns 24, the all-rounder would love to make her birthday memorable in New Zealand.
