Hayley Matthews

Hayley Kristen Matthews (born 19 March 1998) is a Barbadian sportswoman. She plays international cricket for the West Indies and Mumbai Indians as an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling right-arm off break. She plays domestic cricket for Barbados, Barbados Royals and Melbourne Renegades, and has previously played for Tasmania, Lancashire Thunder, Southern Vipers, Loughborough Lightning, Velocity and Hobart Hurricanes. She has also represented Barbados in the javelin throw at several international track and field competitions. In June 2022, Matthews was named as the captain of the West Indies women's cricket team, taking over from Stafanie Taylor.

Early life and education Matthews was born in Barbados and raised in Bridgetown, its capital and largest city. Her father, Mike, batted at no. 4 and bowled off-breaks for Pickwick Cricket Club, one of the island's leading clubs. Previously, he had played in the Barbados Under-19 team.

After Matthews started attending People's Cathedral Primary School, which was next door to her home, an opportunity arose for her to play the game formally. At the age of eight or nine, she asked the school's boys' team coach whether she could be a member of the team. Her request was granted.

At the end of her primary school years, Matthews did well enough in Barbados's controversial Common Entrance examinations to be accepted into the island's most prestigious secondary school, Harrison College, and Sir Clyde Walcott.

Soon after starting at Harrison College, Matthews joined the school's previously all-boys' Under-13 team as an opening batter. With her assistance, the team immediately won a tournament.

In July 2022, she was named as the captain of the Barbados team for the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Australia: Women's Big Bash League

Matthews spent the 2015–16 season playing domestic cricket in Australia, representing the Tasmanian Roar in the Women's National Cricket League and the Hobart Hurricanes in the inaugural season of the Women's Big Bash League. In one WBBL match against the Melbourne Stars, she scored 77 runs from 51 balls.

In November 2018, she was named in the Hobart Hurricanes' squad for the 2018–19 Women's Big Bash League season.

England: The Hundred In 2021, Matthews was drafted by Welsh Fire for the inaugural season of The Hundred.

In April 2022, she was bought by the Welsh Fire for the 2022 season of The Hundred in England.

India In March 2023, Matthews was selected to play for the Mumbai Indians in the 2023 Women's Premier League. She scored 271 runs and picked up 16 wickets in that league, helping her team to clinch the WPL title. She became the leading wicket-taker winning the Purple Cap, and was awarded the player of the tournament for her all-round performance.

International cricket career Matthews' international debut for the West Indies came at the age of 16, in a Twenty20 International against New Zealand in September 2014. Matthews made her One Day International (ODI) debut a few months later, scoring 55 runs from 86 balls in the first game of a four-ODI series against Australia. In the second game, she scored 89 runs from 108 balls, and in the third game, 60 runs from 81 balls.

Matthews has been a regular for the West Indies since her debut,

In October 2018, Cricket West Indies (CWI) awarded her a women's contract for the 2018–19 season. Later the same month, she was named in the West Indies' squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies. Ahead of the tournament, she was named as the player to watch in the team, and was appointed vice-captain of the team.

In January 2020, she was named in West Indies' squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia. In September 2020, in the third match against England, Matthews took her 50th wicket in WT20Is.

In May 2021, Matthews was awarded with a central contract from Cricket West Indies. In October 2021, she was named in the West Indies team for the 2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. In February 2022, she was named in the West Indies team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.

On April 15, 2024 Matthews was named Wisden's Leading Twenty20 Cricketer in 2023

She was named as captain of the West Indies squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Matthews played in her 100th WT20I in the final group match against England, scoring 52 off 38 balls as West Indies clinched a semi-final place with a six-wicket win.

Matthews was captain was of the West Indies squad for the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan in April 2025.

During the 2nd ODI against Ireland, Matthews hit a career best score of 159* as West Indies chased down a target of 270 in 38.4 overs. In the same match Matthews and Realeanna Grimmond also formed the largest opening partnership in West Indies women's ODI history.

International centuries On 22 September 2018, Matthews scored her maiden ODI hundred against South Africa in front of her home crowd at Bridgetown. She had scored a duck in the opening match of the series and, after a wash-out in the second ODI, she hit 17 fours in her 146-ball 117.

+ Centuries by opponents Opponent WODI WT20I Total – 1 1 1 – 1 – 1 1 1 – 1 3 1 4 1 – 1 3 – 3 1 – 1 1 – 1 1 – 1 Total 12 3 15

Key Remained not out Captain of West Indies in that match Man of the match

FairBreak career Matthews has played for the Warriors team in two FairBreak Invitational T20 competitions. At the inaugural Invitational, held in Dubai in May 2022, she took 5/123 in five matches and made 153 runs at 30.60 including two half centuries: and 52 against Barmy Army.

During the second Invitational, in Hong Kong in April 2023, Matthews took 5/88 and made an aggregate of 168 runs in four matches.

Athletics career As an athlete, Matthews competed in the javelin throw, and represented Barbados in a number of international meets and competitions. She won silver medals at the 2013 and 2014 CARIFTA Games, competing in the under-17 and under-18 categories, respectively. At the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics, held in Mexico, she won a bronze medal in the under-18 category, while at the 2015 CARIFTA Games she won her first gold medal, again competing in the under-18 category.

Personal life Matthews has type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 12, after displaying symptoms during a family vacation. Her father, also a diabetic, was the first to make sense of her symptoms. The diabetes is a challenge for Matthews' sporting career, but she controls it with good management. Her team mates are aware of it, and of what to expect.

Matthews is also a fan of English Premier League team Arsenal FC.

Honours Team ICC Women's World Twenty20 champion: 2016 FairBreak Invitational T20 champion: 2023 Hong Kong

Individual Women's Premier League Player of the Tournament: 2023 Women's Premier League Purple Cap: 2023