Matthews’ brilliance fails to avoid West Indies series defeat to England

England withstood all-rounder Hayley Matthews’ brilliance to win the third and final T20 by 17 runs and complete a dominant series clean sweep in Charlotte Edwards and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s first series in charge.

Matthews was playing a lone hand in West Indies’ pursuit of 145 for a consolation win at Chelmsford, but a rain delay with 48 runs required from the last 26 balls disrupted the chase.

They slipped from 109-3 to 127-8, with Lauren Bell claiming the game-changing wicket of Matthews for a sublime 71 from 54 balls in the 18th over.

Bell finished an exceptional spell with figures of 2-11, while there were also two wickets each for fellow quick Em Arlott and spinners Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean.

Matthews claimed 3-32 in England’s 144-5, leading West Indies’ much-improved bowling performance, but former captain Heather Knight’s unbeaten 66 from 47 balls ensured England just had enough runs on the board.

After Danni Wyatt-Hodge was bowled from the first ball of the innings by Zaida James’ spin for the second match in a row and Sophia Dunkley was caught behind off Matthews for three, Knight and new captain Sciver-Brunt rebuilt the innings from a stuttering powerplay of 24-2.

The experienced pair added 48 for the third wicket before Sciver-Brunt fell for 37, and Knight added a further 42 with wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who made a quickfire 22.

A three-match one-day international series begins in Derby on Friday, but England will be waiting on Knight’s fitness after she could not take the field in the second innings because of a hamstring problem suffered during her knock. (BBC)