Matthews’ all-round show keeps West Indies perfect and level with England

West Indies kept their unbeaten record at the Women’s T20 World Cup intact in Bristol, beating Sri Lanka by five wickets to move level with England at the top of Group 2. Hayley Matthews ran the game from both ends, taking 3 for 15 with the ball and then adding a brisk 17 at the start of the chase. It was a third win from three, and it kept the side that knocked over the defending champions firmly on course for the semi-finals.

Sri Lanka, chasing a knockout place their women’s side has never reached, batted first and never got going. They were bowled out for 98 in 19.4 overs, undone by a West Indies attack that has now made a habit of strangling sides through the middle and at the death.

Spin does the damage

Matthews struck almost immediately, reducing Sri Lanka to 9 for 3 inside the opening overs with the top order gone, and came back to finish with 3 for 15 from her four overs. Karishma Ramharack then cleaned up the tail with 2 for 15, and wickets fell at regular intervals so that no partnership was allowed to build.

Nilakshi Silva top-scored with 30, and Kavisha Dilhari chipped in with 21, but the rest of the order could not stay with them. Sri Lanka’s total of 98 always looked light on a ground where West Indies had the batting to chase in a hurry.

Taylor steers the chase home

There was a brief wobble. West Indies lost a few wickets trying to push the scoring along, but Stafanie Taylor refused to let it turn into anything more, finishing unbeaten on 27 to guide her side to 99 for 5 with 23 balls to spare. Dilhari was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with 2 for 22, but she had too little to defend.

Matthews was named Player of the Match for her all-round display, the kind of contribution that has become the spine of this West Indies side. They beat defending champions New Zealand in their opener through Shemaine Campbelle’s unbeaten 90, edged past Scotland, and have now made it three in a row without ever looking like a team in trouble.

What it means for Group 2

West Indies and England are both on six points and unbeaten, with England top only on net run rate. That sets up a meeting between the two group leaders that could decide who finishes first. For West Indies, a semi-final spot is now close, and they have done it the hard way, against the holders and on grounds that have not always made batting easy.

Sri Lanka are left on two points, their bid for a first semi-final in the tournament’s history still alive but now dependent on results going their way. Chamari Athapaththu’s side have shown they can beat anyone on their day, the upset of New Zealand proved that, yet stringing a full performance together across a group has again been the harder task.

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