Australia survive Hayley-storm to win T20 series 2-1

Australia braved Hayley Matthews' onslaught through out the series and eventually came away with a 2-1 series win with wins in the first and third T20Is.

Australia won the 1st match easily by 7 wickets despite a valiant 99 from the West Indies captain where as Matthews struck one back in the second game with a knock for the ages. In what looked like a repeat of the second match, Australia came back post the dismissal of a dangerous looking Matthews to seal the series with a win in the final T20I at the Allen Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday (October 5). For her stupendous performance in the series, Matthews won the player of the series award after walking away with player of the match awards in all three games

1st T20I, Ocotber 1, North Sydney Oval, Sydney

Opting to field first, Australia had the first taste of things to come with Matthews taking on the bowlers. The West Indies skipper scored a nearly flawless 99 off 74 balls even as all the other batters struggled to support her. Eventually Windies could score 147 for 3 from the stipulated 20 overs. In the last over, Matthews was stranded at the non-striking end agonisingly close to her second century.

In the chase, Australia lost the ever-reliable Beth Mooney early, but Tahlia McGrath took the onus on herself in smashing the visiting bowlers on a good batting surface. Alyssa Healy caught up with her batting partner and played some good shots on her way to a fifty. Eventually Australia made light work of the chase with McGrath scoring 60 not out of just 32 balls.

Brief Scores: West Indies 147/3 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 99; Ashleigh Gardner 1/26) lost to Australia 149/2 in 13.2 overs (Tahlia McGrath 60*, Alyssa Healy 56; Hayley Matthews 1/17) by 8 wickets POTM: Hayley Matthews

2nd T20I, October 2, North Sydney Oval, Sydney

On an even better wicket, Australia lost skipper Healy with the first ball of the match when Shemaine Campbelle pulled off a great catch at point. Although McGrath also fell early, Ellyse Perry counter attacked the West Indies bowlers even as Mooney took her time at the other end.

Australia looked in some rife when Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner fell in quick succession with the score reading 87 for 4 in the 12th over.

However, batters kept attacking the Windies bowlers and Perry scored 70 off 46 balls. But that didn't stem the run flow. Young Phoebe Litchfield relished the new role down the order and went after the visitors in some style.

The southpaw equalled Sophie Devine's fastest T20I fifty when she reached the fifty in style with a maximum off just 18 balls. Georgia Wareham at the other end also launched attack against the West Indies bowlers to score an unbeaten 32 off just 13 balls.

On a good batting wicket, West Indies needed their talismanic skipper to come to the party and that's just what Matthews did. She played a magnificent knock where she kept peppering the off side and occasionally hit the Aussies bowlers down the ground and on the leg-side.

Australia tried to change things around, but the West Indies captain was severe on all the bowlers and eventually brought up her second T20I hundred from 53 balls. Post her century, Matthews didn't relent and by the time she fell in the penultimate over after scoring four consecutive fours off Jess Jonassen, West Indies were almost home.

From there, Campbelle and Chinelle Henry took West Indies home to make history as they registered highest successful chase in the format.

Brief Scores: Australia 212/6 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 70, Phoebe Litchfield 52*; Hayley Matthews 3/36) lost to West Indies 213/3 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 132, Stafanie Taylor 59; Megan Schutt 2/30) by 7 wickets POTM: Hayley Matthews

3rd T20I, October 5, Allen Border Field, Brisbane

With both teams tied at 1-1 and Australia not finding any answers for Matthews, it seemed like third T20I was following the same script from the second game. The hosts batted first and scored a mammoth score and Matthews, despite an injury to her quad, went after the target in similar vein. 

As Matthews peppered the boundaries, Australian bowlers looked clueless and the West Indies skipper reached her fifty in no time as she took on Annabel Sutherland for 21 runs in an over. However, once a back of the hand slow ball from Darcie Brown accounted for her, West Indies innings fell away from 98 for no loss to 143 all out in the final over. 

That meant Australia won the game by 43 runs and took the series 2-1 despite the heroics of Matthews. For the hosts, Brown was the best bowler on display with three wickets to her name - her career best figures in T20Is so far - while Ashleigh Gardner also picked up three wickets.

Brief Scores: Australia 190/9 in 20 overs (Tahlia McGrath 65, Ellyse Perry 40; Shamilia Connell 3/25) beat West Indies 143/10 in 19.5 overs (Hayley Matthews 79; Darcie Brown 3/20, Ashleigh Garnder 3/32) by 43 runs POTM: Hayley Matthews POTS: Hayley Matthews