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Hayley Matthews provided the latest example of her exploits as a big game player when she played a starring role to help the Melbourne Renegades Women defeat the Brisbane Heat Women by seven runs via the DLS method in the final of the 2024 Women’s Big Bash League at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Matthews first made a crucial 61-ball 69 at the top of the innings as the Renegades posted 141-9 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Heat.
Her innings included eight fours and was crucial as the Heat bowlers were picking up wickets in quick succession at the other end.
In fact, the only other Renegades batters to reach double figures were Georgia Wareham with 21 and Naomi Stalenberg with 16.
Charli Knott and Grace Parsons were the main threats with the ball with 3-28 and 2-29, respectively.
The Heat, after a rain delay during their reply, were set a revised target of 98 off 12 overs.
Despite the best efforts of captain Jess Jonassen who made 44* off 28 balls, the Heat fell just short of their target, reaching 90-6 off 12 overs.
Matthews led the way with 2-24 from her maximum three overs and was named player of the match.
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I would have asked to bat in top four on debut, says England's Bethell
Jacob Bethell said that he would have asked to bat up the order on his Test debut had he not received a "surprise" invitation to do so by England against New Zealand.
Bethell scored an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls after coming in at number three and also hit the winning runs as the tourists posted an eight-wicket win in the first Test in Christchurch.
"I would have asked for it to be honest," Bethell told BBC Sport.
"I like batting up the order so I was really happy that opportunity arose. I've always wanted to bat in the top four, so three is perfect," added Bethell, who had not battled above number four in his first-class career where he has an average of 25.44 from 30 innings.
The 21-year-old was called up to the England squad as a batting cover, but found himself in the line-up after an injury to wicketkeeper Jordan Cox.
Bethell was dismissed for 10 in his first Test innings, but produced a quick half-century in the second as England chased down the 104-run target set by New Zealand with ease.
"It's everything I've dreamed of," said Bethell, who hit eight fours and a six during his knock.
"It lived up to expectations. It was so fun."
But Bethell will have his work cut out to keep his number three spot with Ollie Pope, who moved down the order due to workload management after wicketkeeping duties, being the regular for England in that position.
"It was my first experience playing in front of packed grass banks, pristine outfield, good pitches and playing against a good team, so it was great," Bethell said.
"To come out in the second innings and have a chance to walk off with an England win was at the forefront of my mind and luckily I was able to do that."
Born in Barbados, Bethell moved to England at the age of 13 and made his T20 and ODI debuts against Australia in September.
He has scored three scores of 50 or more in 15 limited-over appearances for England so far, earning him a contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League worth about £245,000.
The second Test of the three-match series will begin in Wellington on Thursday.
I would've asked to bat in top four on debut, says England's Bethell
Jacob Bethell said that he would have asked to bat up the order on his Test debut had he not received a "surprise" invitation to do so by England against New Zealand.
Bethell scored an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls after coming in at number three and also hit the winning runs as the tourists posted an eight-wicket win in the first Test in Christchurch.
"I would have asked for it to be honest," Bethell told BBC Sport.
"I like batting up the order so I was really happy that opportunity arose. I've always wanted to bat in the top four, so three is perfect," added Bethell, who had not battled above number four in his first-class career where he has an average of 25.44 from 30 innings.
The 21-year-old was called up to the England squad as a batting cover, but found himself in the line-up after an injury to wicketkeeper Jordan Cox.
Bethell was dismissed for 10 in his first Test innings, but produced a quick half-century in the second as England chased down the 104-run target set by New Zealand with ease.
"It's everything I've dreamed of," said Bethell, who hit eight fours and a six during his knock.
"It lived up to expectations. It was so fun."
But Bethell will have his work cut out to keep his number three spot with Ollie Pope, who moved down the order due to workload management after wicketkeeping duties, being the regular for England in that position.
"It was my first experience playing in front of packed grass banks, pristine outfield, good pitches and playing against a good team, so it was great," Bethell said.
"To come out in the second innings and have a chance to walk off with an England win was at the forefront of my mind and luckily I was able to do that."
Born in Barbados, Bethell moved to England at the age of 13 and made his T20 and ODI debuts against Australia in September.
He has scored three scores of 50 or more in 15 limited-over appearances for England so far, earning him a contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League worth about £245,000.
The second Test of the three-match series will begin in Wellington on Thursday.
Guyana Amazon Warriors rebound to beat Hampshire Hawks in Global Super League
The Guyana Amazon Warriors bounced back from their previous loss to secure a thrilling four-wicket victory over the Hampshire Hawks in the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) on Sunday. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd in Providence, the home side chased down 146-6 with 10 balls to spare, reaching 147-6 in 18.2 overs, keeping their tournament hopes alive.
The match remained evenly poised until the 18th over of the Warriors’ chase. With Gudakesh Motie dismissed for 16, the Warriors still needed 24 runs from the final 18 balls. Hawks captain Chris Wood took the ball but faced a brutal assault. Hassan Khan smashed a six before Romario Shepherd added two consecutive boundaries to put the Warriors on the brink. With just five runs required, Hassan finished the game in style, striking a four off Benny Howell and following it up with a single to seal the win.
The victory propels the Warriors to second place in the standings with four points, keeping them firmly in contention for the tournament's latter stages. Their final group-stage match against bottom-placed Rangpur Riders will determine their semi-final fate.
The match began with Warriors captain Imran Tahir leading from the front. After winning the toss and electing to field, Tahir delivered a Player of the Match performance, returning impressive figures of 3-18 from his four overs. He dismissed Hampshire's top scorer Shan Masood (79 off 53 balls) with a clever piece of bowling that led to a stumping and followed it up by removing Liam Dawson and Benny Howell in quick succession. Hampshire's middle and lower order struggled to build on Masood’s brilliance, finishing with 146-6.
In response, the Warriors’ batting lineup delivered under pressure. Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, and Hassan Khan all contributed vital runs, with Hassan’s late heroics ensuring a memorable victory for the home team.
Hampshire, now sitting precariously in the standings, must win their final group-stage match against top-of-the-table Victoria to have any chance of advancing to the next stage of the tournament.
The Warriors' blend of experienced bowling, led by Tahir, and composed batting proved decisive as they moved one step closer to the semi-finals. With the inaugural GSL heading into its business end, every point now carries immense weight, promising even more drama in the days ahead.
Match Summary
Hampshire Hawks: 146-6 (Masood 79, Tahir 3-18)
Guyana Amazon Warriors: 147-6 in 18.2 overs (Hassan Khan 24*, Shepherd 15*)
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