In the opening ODI of the Ireland Women’s tour of West Indies, the home team emerged victorious with a comfortable 58-run win. West Indies captain Hayley Matthews played a stellar innings, scoring a magnificent century of 109 runs, her fourth in Women’s ODIs. Matthews’ partnership with Stafanie Taylor, worth 156 runs, contributed significantly to West Indies’ total of 297 runs.
After winning the toss, West Indies elected to bat but got off to a slow start, losing an early wicket. However, Matthews and Taylor steadied the innings and built a strong foundation. Taylor added 55 runs before being dismissed, while Matthews continued her excellent form to reach a century. Late fireworks from Chinelle Henry propelled West Indies to a competitive total.
In their chase, Ireland showed promise with Gaby Lewis’ impressive knock of 83 runs. However, once Lewis was dismissed, Ireland struggled to maintain the required run-rate and fell short of the target. Matthews displayed her all-round skills, also claiming three wickets with the ball.
The final scorecard read West Indies Women 297/6 in 50 overs (Hayley Matthews 109, Stafanie Taylor 55; Cara Murray 3-60) defeating Ireland Women 239/9 in 50 overs (Gaby Lewis 83; Hayley Matthews 3-53, Afy Fletcher 2-49) by 58 runs. With this victory, West Indies have taken an early lead in the series, setting the stage for an exciting battle in the upcoming matches.
