West Indies 242 for 4 (Matthews 100, Taylor 100*; Maguire 2-52) beat Ireland 241 for 7 (Hunter 67, Stokell 57; Dottin 2-15) by 6 wickets
Captain Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor both scored hundreds in the second One-Day International against Ireland at the Bready Cricket Ground on Sunday, leading the West Indies to a comfortable six-wicket victory and a subsequent 2-0 series-winning lead.
The two finished with identical scores of 100, with Matthews notching back-to-back tons and Taylor remaining unbeaten to see Windies home.
There are cherished moments in every sport when the greats occupy the same field. Even more so in cricket, when the pinnacle of what an entire nation has been able to produce stands at opposite ends of the wicket. The 158-run partnership between Matthews and Taylor was in no way proof that they are the two greatest women to have represented the West Indies; it was simply a reminder.
The proof, however, was in every classical shot they each carved out that kept the scoreboard ticking over and prompted statistical interjection after statistical interjection from the commentary team that was as good as saying, “There’s nobody like them.”
The pair came together at the fall of Realeanna Grimmond for a duck in the first over, and their 151-ball stay propelled the West Indies to 159 for 2, needing 83 runs from 144 balls to win. They scored above the required rate throughout their partnership thanks to Matthews, the aggressor, who followed up her century in Friday’s first encounter with a 94-ball repeat. For which, 68 of the even one hundred runs were accumulated in boundaries.
Taylor’s innings, on the other hand, was a measured one. Sensing the flow of Matthews, she fell back to a supporting role, only taking charge when Matthews was dismissed. Taylor brought up a 62-ball fifty, then took just 43 deliveries to get to three figures. She got to the milestone with a four and a six.
In the meantime, the Windies skipper, for the second time in three days, extended her record for most ODI centuries by a West Indian woman to 12. 11 of the Barbadian’s hundreds have been scored since the beginning of 2021. Matthews' tally is currently three less than that of former Australian captain Meg Lanning’s record (15) for most W-ODI tons. Only two active players have outdone her in this category: India’s Smriti Mandhana (14) and Laura Wolvaardt (13).
Matthews’ 12 is now three more than the pioneering Taylor (9), who is second on a list she has led for so many years now, for the most ODI centuries by a West Indian woman. Although Taylor’s average of 43.29 does eclipse Matthews’ 36.32.
Only former Indian skipper Mithali Raj (64) and England’s Charlotte Edwards (46) have bettered Taylor (42) for most fifties in the format. Taylor’s 6234 is second only to Raj’s 7805 on the all-time scorers’ list.
There are days when these numbers are easily forgotten. Days when the West Indies fail to secure automatic qualification to a World Cup, and then again when they are unsuccessful at a Qualifying tournament. Not to mention when they are the team Ireland defeat to get their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup win.
Still, there will be days like today. The ones, a now mature Matthews, gifts us ever so often. When she effortlessly keeps up with, if not leads, the best in the world.
The ones Taylor has fought to reinvent her fitness for. When she reminds the Caribbean and the world of what she has been doing for 18 years, back when there was no visibility for Windies Women. That is, accumulate runs, dominate ODIs, and pull the West Indies to victory.
The Windies bowlers had earlier put on an all-round display to restrict Ireland to 241 for seven from their allotment. Deandra Dottin (2/15) and Matthews (2/34) claimed two wickets apiece against half-centuries from Amy Hunter (67) and Rebecca Stokell (57).
