Hayley Matthews delivered a masterclass with bat and ball as West Indies Women crushed Ireland by nine wickets in the opening ODI at Bready, chasing down 269 with 68 balls to spare. Her unbeaten 159—second only to Stafanie Taylor’s 171 in WI Women’s ODI history—sealed a dominant 1-0 series lead.
Matthews and Grimmond rewrite WI records
Matthews and Realeanna Grimmond (91) obliterated the opposition with a record 258-run opening stand, the highest partnership for any wicket in West Indies Women’s ODIs. The pair made Ireland’s 269 look meek, with Matthews racing to a 90-ball century and Grimmond notching her ODI fifty. Even after Grimmond fell with just 12 runs needed, Matthews finished the job in style.
Ireland’s Hunter fights lone battle
Amy Hunter anchored Ireland’s innings with a gutsy 96, adding 69 with Orla Prendergast (30) and 50 with Rebecca Stokell (20) to steady the ship. But at 196-3, Matthews (3-52) and Afy Fletcher (4-49) triggered a collapse—five wickets for 36 runs. Hunter fell four short of a ton, and only Louise Little’s 27 pushed Ireland to 269.
Key stats from the Bready thriller
- West Indies Women 270/1 in 38.4 overs (Hayley Matthews 159*, Realeanna Grimmond 91)
- Ireland Women 269 all out in 49 overs (Amy Hunter 96; Afy Fletcher 4-49, Hayley Matthews 3-52)
- 258-run stand: Highest WI Women ODI partnership for any wicket
- Matthews’ 159*: Second-highest individual score in WI Women’s ODIs
The series now shifts to the second ODI, where Ireland will need a miracle to stop this West Indies juggernaut. Matthews, though, is just getting started.
