England overcome Hayley Matthews magic to launch new era in style
England (147/2) beat the West Indies (146/7) by eight wickets: Sophia Dunkley and Heather Knight steered the hosts to a comfortable victory in their first match under Charlotte Edwards
New era, new England. If it was a defeat to the West Indies that brought down one regime, the disastrous T20 World Cup exit precipitating the Ashes debacle and fall of the Jon Lewis/Heather Knight axis, then a comprehensive win over the same opposition marked a perfect start to life under Charlotte Edwards. Of course, convincing home victories are not a fresh phenomenon for a side that tends to go well here regardless of the opposition, but the manner in which they dismissed a dangerous visiting side was nonetheless impressive.
It came despite one of the great T20 innings from Hayley Matthews, who has come to trade in such things. The West Indies skipper almost single-handedly dragged her team to a total of 146/7 with a hundred of masterful strokeplay and structure, not so much playing on a different pitch to her teammates but a different sport.
The sterner tests of England’s growth will come at the World Cup in India later his year but this was a positive, tentative step in the right direction under Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. There was energy and application in the field and shrewd use of five bowlers by the skipper, unable to bowl herself as she nurses an achilles issue. The magical Matthews could not be contained but her colleagues mustered just 40 from 53 balls, illustrating the control England maintained over proceedings.
It set up a chase made in relative comfort, with a dashing Sophia Dunkley (81*) and liberated Knight (43*) surviving a couple of scares to cruise home after Danni Wyatt-Hodge and the new leader had perished early. Dunkley has begun the season in superb form in the revamped domestic structure, scores of 92, 102 and 79 made in quick succession to set up this enterprising knock – a pleasing sign after another key tweak in this new age of English women’s cricket. The 26-year-old is yet to truly fulfil her potential at international level but feels the sort of player who could thrive under Edwards. A final stroke of real elegance, her 12th boundary, through the offside secured success with 21 balls to spare.
“It was great to start the summer off with a win,” Dunkley, elevated into the leadership group ahead of this series, said. “Lottie has come in as a really calm person and really clear with what we want to do. I wanted to come out and contribute to the team, try to impact the game as much as possible. It was a good night. Heather has been outstanding around the group, nothing has really changed much on that front.”
More radical changes to the England XI may be on the way after the World Cup later this year but there were a few subtle changes in the first team named by Edwards. Under a new selection strategy, the wider squad was picked by the new coach and her old middle-order mucker Lydia Greenway, appointed as national selector, with Sciver-Brunt providing more limited input and then influential on matchday. A T20I debut for Em Arlott, a bowler England have long liked, felt overdue, while a recall for Issy Wong was welcome after her run-up troubles over the last couple of years.
Qiana Joseph had been England’s dismantler in chief in Dubai last October, tonking England repeatedly to the boundary with a somewhat old-school display of leg-side lumping aided by some woeful catching. The opener lasted just four balls here, though, an attempted turn into the on-side catching a leading edge and settling in the hands of Linsey Smith in the offside ring off the bowling of Lauren Bell. When the tall quick extracted an edge from Zaida James with extra bounce to take a second in the over, the West Indies were in a spot of bother.
Fortunately, they have one of the world’s best batters on which to call. Hayley Matthews at times has to carry the Caribbean on her back – as shown in World Cup qualifying, where the skipper left the field on a stretcher before returning to complete a remarkable hundred that ultimately proved in vain during a costly defeat to Scotland. The tournament will be poorer for her absence; highlights here included a lovely lifted sweep for six off Smith and three boundaries in a row from the bowling of Dean.
Misfortune befell her latest partner, debutant Realeanna Grimmond run out searching for a second not knowing the ball was already in the hands of wicketkeeper Amy Jones. With no Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin or Chinelle Henry in the side to support the skipper, the visitors’ batting line-up looked thin, and Shabika Gajnabi and Aaliyah Alleyne followed soon enough. A bullet arm from Wong on the square leg boundary, summing up England’s new attitude and application, accounted for Jannillea Glasgow.
And so it was left to the slender Bajan shoulders of Matthews to haul the West Indies to something competitive again. And how she heaved, an unbeaten 100 made in marvellous style without undue risk as all around her crumbled. It was the second time she had made more than 67% of her side’s runs in a completed T20I innings. It is fair to wonder what she might be able to do with a little more support but her individual brilliance could not spoil an excellent launch event for England’s new era.
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