West Indies Women's captain Hayley Matthews turned out out for a men's club team in Barbados, scoring 60 in a low-scoring fixture in Bridgetown.
Matthews led the West Indies in the recent Women's ODI World Cup Qualifier, where they narrowly missed out on a qualification spot. The 27-year-old had smashed a 29-ball 70 during the West Indies' chase of 167, in 10.5 overs, against Thailand. They finished with a net run-rate just 0.013 short of Bangladesh.
Aside from averaging 60 with the bat (at a strike-rate of 116.5) in the tournament, Matthews was the leading wicket-taker as well, picking up 13 wickets at 15.84. In the opening game against Scotland, she'd battled through injury to hit a hundred after taking four wickets, but the West Indies narrowly lost that game.
Matthews hits crucial 60 in men's club game
Just over two weeks since their World Cup dreams extinguished, Matthews featured for ESA Field Pickwick against SigniaGlobe Financial BCA Youth in a three-day match of the Barbados Cricket Association's Elite Division League.
It's the same competition in which Jofra Archer played last year, for Wildey against Pickwick, claiming 5-7 as he stepped up his recovery from injury.
Batting at five in the first innings, Matthews was dismissed for 2 (5), as Pickwick folded for 62 all out in 25 overs.
In response, SGF BCA Youth got out for 177: Matthews herself sent down seven overs, picking up 1-18.
Matthews, bumped up to four, put on 60 off 71 in the second innings. When she walked in, her side was 2-2 in the fourth over. She was dismissed in the 28th over, setting the base for a much-stronger response by Pickwick. Powered by her fifty, and captain Rohan Ryan's 67 (75), they managed 256, leaving the opposition with 142 to get in the fourth innings. At the end of day two, they were 25-2.
Matthews' association with Barbados men's club cricket isn't new.
Michael Matthews, her father, was also a club cricketer for Pickwick, featuring in Barbados top league alongside Desmond Haynes, Vasbert Drakes and Tino Best. Her brother, Rey Matthews, has also played in the same league as a fast bowler.
Hayley Matthews was pushed to play hard-ball cricket with boys as early as eight, even captaining Harrison School's Under-13 boys team.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph back in 2017, she'd explained how she would play for Pickwick in her teens improved her. “I think it really helps to improve my game – older guys still tend to challenge – so I try to play men’s cricket as much as possible,” she said.
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