Hayley Matthews expects Australia's bowlers to change their plans - and fields - for Thursday's series decider, but is confident she can counter whatever the hosts throw her way
Aussies search for solution to stop Windies star
Australia will be hoping for a case of third time lucky in their plans to stop run machine Hayley Matthews in Brisbane on Thursday night, with the West Indies skipper causing the hosts no end of headaches courtesy of her unique hitting areas.
With her side staring down the barrel of a decisive nil-two deficit after conceding 212 in the first innings of Monday night's second T20I in Sydney, Matthews blazed a remarkable 132 from 64 balls to flip the script on the world champs and earn her seventh-straight player-of-the-match award in the format.
It followed a dashing 99no from 74 balls in game one, with her runs tally (231) now more than Australia have ever conceded from one player in a T20I bilateral series.
More alarmingly for the Aussies has been the way Matthews has collected her runs. In the opening match, around 45 per cent of her scoring was done through the square leg region, with the hosts effectively shutting down the off-side, where the right-hander has scored more runs (589) at a higher overall percentage (58) than any player in T20Is in the past 12 months.
Yet on Monday night, Matthews went to town through the cover region, with a combination of field placings and poor bowling execution allowing the 25-year-old to access her strongest area.
"I'm pretty sure Alyssa (Healy, Australia captain) would've had conversations with her bowlers, and I'm pretty sure from being a captain myself the plan was to probably bowl straighter," Matthews offered ahead of Thursday night's decider at Allan Border Field.
"But I know how tough it can be as a captain when the bowlers don't hit where they need to, or closer to the stumps. But at the same time, I might've got one or two of them off the stumps and over cover as well.
"I've been striking them really well no matter what part of the ground I've been trying to access. Last game was obviously cover, the game (before) I went through square a lot, and if a different area of the field opens up, I want to be prepared so I can access right around 360. I've been working really hard on my game for this reason exactly.
"I'm pretty sure they'll go back and look pretty hard at the footage and definitely have some different game plans that I've got to be wary of, and I need to be prepared to change my game plan in the next match as well."
Batter Phoebe Litchfield insisted that is exactly what Australia have done as they look to zero in on the figure most capable of causing another boilover on Thursday night, and Australia's first T20I series defeat on home soil since February 2017.
"It's tough," Litchfield said. "She's in the form of her life and striking the ball ridiculously well. There's always a fifth fielder up in women's cricket and the way she sees that gap and moves around the crease to find that is really destructive, and really tough for our bowlers to keep on top off.
"They're the discussions we've been having: how do we shut down one side of the field to her, and try to get some dots or at least get her off strike, because if you give her enough balls she'll put it to the boundary.
"It was pretty frustrating and disappointing to be fair. The way we came off the field after that first innings, we were really confident and really keen to hopefully bowl them out for not many.
"But the way she relocated (in her crease) and hit over the off side, and then when we put the off side out and put the leg side up, she then relocated again, so she's a very clever batter and we've got to put plans in place to try to shut her down."
CommBank T20s v West Indies 2023
First T20: Australia won by eight wickets
Second T20: West Indies won by seven wickets
Third T20: October 5, Allan Border Field, 7.05pm AEDT
CommBank ODIs v West Indies 2023
First ODI: October 8, Allan Border Field, 10.35am AEDT
Second ODI: October 12, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT
First ODI: October 14, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT
Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris (T20Is only), Jess Jonassen, Alana King (ODIs only), Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams