Hayley Matthews stood tall amid the ruins, crafting an unbeaten century that blended grit with grace, but her valiant effort of 100* off 67 balls could not prevent a resurgent England from marching to an eight-wicket victory in Canterbury. As the Edwards-Sciver-Brunt leadership era kicked off, England avenged their T20 World Cup heartbreak with composure and purpose, chasing down West Indies’ total of 146 for 7 with 21 balls remaining.
Matthews, captaining a depleted West Indies side without the seasoned Deandra Dottin and Chinelle Henry, single-handedly anchored the innings. Her teammates faltered under pressure, with only two others reaching double digits, Mandy Mangru’s 17 off 16 was the next-best contribution, underlining just how heavily the innings leaned on Matthews’ brilliance.
England had won the toss and opted to field. The England bowlers, under the watchful eyes of new head coach Charlotte Edwards, found their rhythm early despite Matthews’ resistance. Lauren Bell was the standout, claiming 2 for 29, striking twice in three balls to dismiss Qiana Joseph (2 for 4) and Zaida James (0 off 2). Debutant Emily Arlott (1/28) and the returning Issy Wong (1/35) picked up a wicket each, but it was Linsey Smith’s control that impressed most—her left-arm spin returning 1 for 18 in four economical overs.
Matthews was unrelenting, finding gaps and dispatching England’s bowlers with a controlled ferocity. Her knock included a series of elegantly struck boundaries—highlighted by three consecutive fours off Charlie Dean that showcased her range through sweeps, drives, and pulls. She reached her fifty in 38 balls and upped the tempo as wickets tumbled around her. The standout partnership came with Mangru, as the pair stitched a 47-run stand, off 33 balls—the highest of the innings—which was finally broken in the penultimate over when Bell took a sharp catch at short fine leg.
Drama intensified in the final over as Matthews entered on 89. A full toss from Bell was pounced upon and sent to the boundary through backward square. Another flick off the pads brought her to 99. With one ball left, she dug deep and managed a single through a hurried pull shot, raising her bat in delight as she notched a memorable century.
A moment of lapse from debutante Realeanna Grimmond (4 off 8) resulted in a run-out, as she lost track of the ball and turned blindly for a second run only for Amy Jones to calmly remove the bails. Their fielding—so heavily criticized after five dropped catches in the T20 World Cup match—was considerably sharper.
Chasing 147, England got off to a flyer with Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (17 off 15) putting on 50 in just 5.2 overs. Wyatt-Hodge’s brisk start was halted when Zaida James (1/32) trapped her leg-before and the ball trickled onto the stumps. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s tenure as captain began on a sour note with a second-ball duck—an edge caught behind off Afy Fletcher (1/27) that needed a review to confirm.
But the innings belonged to Dunkley, who embraced the opportunity to open in the absence of Maia Bouchier. Her unbeaten 81 anchored England’s chase, and she was ably supported by Heather Knight, the former skipper, who brought calm authority with an unbeaten 43 off 27. Their unbroken 94-run stand for the third wicket saw England cruise home, with Knight peppering the boundary in the final overs and Dunkley sealing the win with a boundary off Cherry-Ann Fraser.
Despite the result, the match will be remembered for Matthews’ lone stand—an innings crafted with poise, resilience, and class. Though it didn’t end in victory, it was a centurion’s knock for the ages, full of pride and purpose.
