West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews delivered a standout performance in Barbados over the weekend, scoring a vital 60 off 71 balls while representing ESA Field Pickwick in a men’s three-day match in the Barbados Cricket Association’s Elite Division League.

Facing SigniaGlobe Financial BCA Youth at the iconic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Matthews came to the crease in a pressure situation. Promoted to No. 4 in the batting order, she walked in with Pickwick reeling at 2-2 in the fourth over of their second innings. Undeterred, she anchored the recovery effort, producing a composed innings that laid the foundation for Pickwick’s 256 — a dramatic improvement from their first-innings collapse of 62 all out.

Matthews struck six boundaries during her stay at the crease and was eventually dismissed in the 28th over. Her contribution proved crucial, as she steadied the innings and set up the platform for a valuable 67 (75) from team captain Rohan Ryan. Together, they helped their side set a fourth-innings target of 142. At stumps on day two, BCA Youth were 25-2 in pursuit.

It was a strong all-round outing for Matthews, who also made an impact with the ball. She bowled seven tidy overs in the first innings and took 1-18 as BCA Youth responded with 177.

While Matthews is better known for her exploits on the international stage, her involvement in men’s club cricket is far from new. Her father, Michael Matthews, was a long-time Pickwick cricketer who competed alongside legends like Desmond Haynes, Vasbert Drakes, and Tino Best. Hayley herself was immersed in the sport from an early age, playing hard-ball cricket with boys from age eight and captaining the Under-13 boys’ team at Harrison College.