Hayley Matthews in doubt for third ODI after shoulder injury

Cliff Notes – Hayley Matthews in doubt for third ODI after shoulder injury

• Hayley Matthews is uncertain for the final ODI against England due to a left shoulder injury sustained during the first match of the series.
• West Indies head coach Shane Deitz expressed hope for positive news following Matthews’ consultation with a specialist in London.

Hayley Matthews in doubt for third ODI after shoulder injury

Hayley Matthews is in doubt for the third and final match of West Indies’ tour of England with a shoulder injury which kept her out of the second ODI in Leicester.

Matthews will see a specialist in London on Thursday for the left shoulder problem which she aggravated during a fall in the field during the first ODI in Derby last Friday.

“She’s going to London tomorrow morning, so we’ll know more then,” Shane Deitz, West Indies Women’s head coach, said after his side’s 143-run defeat in Leicester on Wednesday night. “Hopefully we’ll get some good news tomorrow.”

England could sweep the entire tour with a win in Saturday’s third and final ODI in Taunton after winning the first by 108 runs and securing the T20I series 3-0.

Matthews was the player of the series for the T20Is despite her side not winning a game. She was the leading run-scorer overall with 177 at an average of 88.50 and strike rate of 137.20, including an unbeaten century in the series opener at Canterbury. She complemented her innings of 71 in the third match at Chelmsford by taking 3 for 32 with the ball.

She shared a 91-run stand in Derby with opening partner Qiana Joseph, who scored 62 after struggling for runs through the T20I series and who was also missing from the second ODI through illness. Deitz, however, was more hopeful of Joseph returning in Taunton.

“I was hoping she’d be okay today, but she got on the team bus and looked terrible so we sent her back to bed,” Deitz said. “Hopefully she’ll come good in a couple of days. She played really good the other day. She’s getting better as time goes on in the team so fingers crossed. I’m pretty sure she’ll be right for the next game.”

Realeanna Grimmond, the 20-year-old allrounder, flourished on ODI debut with a 72-ball 53 to top-score for her side while opening alongside regular No.3 Zaida James in the absence of both openers.

“She’s an up-and-coming talent and I’m really proud of her,” Deitz said of Grimmond. “That’s the confidence she needed to go through the scenarios of being out in the middle against the best players in the world and feeling that you belong – and she’s definitely proved that she does belong. Now it’s about keeping the work ethic up and improving on different areas of her game over time. She’s going to have a really long, good, successful career ahead of her if she does all the right things.”

Jannillea Glasgow added an eye-catching 44 off 24 in just her fifth ODI and first appearance in the format on this tour.

But the valiant efforts of West Indies’ youngsters couldn’t match a 202-run partnership between Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont, who both scored back-to-back centuries.

Having put on a stand worth 222 in Derby, Jones bettered her innings of 122 there – her maiden international century – with 129 off just 98 balls and Beaumont followed her 107 with 106.

Beaumont’s latest knock, from 109 balls, came as she battled a heavy cold.

Of Jones, who has been her opening partner at The Blaze during this year’s domestic 50-over competition, Beaumont said: “I’m so proud of her backing up that first century at Derby, to do it again today and in even better style, I think. For her to actually take that lead role there and look after me, as well as go and play like that, was just outstanding.

“We complement each other so well. The height difference, it means we hit different lengths in different areas. You’d have to ask the bowlers, but I think it makes it quite difficult to bowl to as a pair.

On her illness, Beaumont added: “It’s just a cold going through the camp, but I’m proud of how I managed it mentally and kept finding a second and third wind at times. I actually sent a message off saying, ‘if you want me to get on with it, let me know, but I’m struggling to hit it out the ring at the minute.’ Then I found a bit of gas from somewhere.”

After Jones was the first England wicket to fall, Emma Lamb added a 45-ball 55, while a neat cameo of 31 off 19 from Sophia Dunkley pushed the hosts past the 350-mark. In reaching 366 for 6, England fell just 12 runs shy of their highest ODI total, 378 for 5 against Pakistan at Worcester in 2016.