Australia captain Sophie Molineux confirms fitness progress ahead of T20I series against West Indies Australia’s cricket captain Sophie Molineux has confirmed she will be available for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies, despite ongoing recovery from a back injury. The left-arm fast bowler, who missed the latter stages of Australia’s recent ODI series against India, has expressed optimism about her readiness to compete in the Caribbean. Molineux emphasized her focus on peaking for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, set to begin in England less than three months after the T20I fixtures. Molineux, speaking from St Vincent, stated she is “looking forward to getting back out there with the girls” and is “available and looking forward to playing a role” in the white-ball series. While she confirmed her participation in the T20Is, she hinted at the possibility of being rested for the subsequent 50-over matches to ensure her body is fully prepared for the World Cup. The series against the West Indies, which will serve as Australia’s final scheduled tournament before the World Cup, is a critical opportunity for the team to build momentum. The West Indies squad, including skipper Hayley Matthews and experienced players like Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin, will also treat the series as a preparatory step for the T20 World Cup. Matthews acknowledged the importance of the fixtures, calling it a “good test of where we are as a team” ahead of the tournament. The Caribbean side aims to build on their recent T20 World Cup performance, where they reached the semi-finals before falling to New Zealand. Australia’s squad for the series includes Molineux as captain, alongside vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner and other key players such as Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt.#australia #west_indies #sophie_molineux #hayley_matthews #stafanie_taylor
Matthews takes responsibility as Windies Women face batting blues West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews admitted her personal struggles and the team’s recent batting slump contributed to a 43-run defeat against Australia Women in the opening T20I on Thursday. The Windies’ innings, which began promisingly at 76 for one, collapsed under pressure, resulting in a total of 121 for six. Despite disciplined bowling that limited Australia to 164 for six, the home side failed to capitalize on opportunities, leaving them short of the target. Matthews, who scored just 11 runs, acknowledged her own form issues and linked them to the team’s broader batting difficulties. The 25-year-old captain, who returned to the team earlier this year after shoulder surgery in 2025, admitted she is still finding her rhythm. In a post-match interview, she expressed frustration with the team’s batting performance, stating, “We can take the positive out of how we bowled today, but over the last few matches we’ve been disappointing with the bat.” Matthews emphasized that while she is in a personal rut, the team must collectively improve its approach to scoring. She called for resilience and a commitment to learning from setbacks as the series progresses, vowing, “We want to come back strong. It’s going to be really important that we pick ourselves up.” Despite the batting disappointment, Matthews praised her bowlers’ performance, noting that the team’s bowling effort was solid. She acknowledged the challenging batting conditions but highlighted the need for better execution. “We figured around 160 would be a good score to chase, and I was pretty happy with how the pacers got those wickets up front,” she said. However, she pointed out that the Australian innings fluctuated in pace, slowing toward the end.#t20i #west_indies_women #hayley_matthews #australia_women #windies_women
West Indies Women’s Captain Calls for Team to Overcome Batting Struggles West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews took responsibility for her team’s recent batting struggles following their 43-run defeat to Australia Women in the opening T20I match in St Vincent. The home side’s bowlers restricted the Australians to 164 for six in 20 overs, but the West Indies could only manage 121 for six despite being in a strong position at 76 for one. Matthews, the opener, scored just 11, with only Qiana Joseph (45 off 39 balls) and Stafanie Taylor (28 off 25 balls) providing significant resistance. The captain admitted her own form had been poor since returning to action this year after shoulder surgery in 2025, which she linked to the team’s underwhelming batting performances. Speaking after the match, Matthews acknowledged the team’s batting struggles, noting that their recent white-ball series against Sri Lanka had also been disappointing. “We can take the positive out of how we bowled today, but over the last few matches we’ve probably been disappointing with the bat,” she said. She emphasized the need for the batting group to improve, stating, “We have to figure out ways to score and get better as a team.” Matthews praised the bowlers for their performance, particularly the pacers who took early wickets. However, she pointed out that the team’s batting execution fell short of expectations. “We probably figured 160 would be a good target, and I was pretty happy with how that went,” she said. “The conditions weren’t too bad, but we didn’t execute how we wanted to today.” The captain expressed her determination to see the team bounce back, stressing the importance of regaining confidence. “I want us to come back strong,” she said. “It’s going to be really important that we pick ourselves up.#st_vincent #west_indies_women #hayley_matthews #qiana_joseph #stafanie_taylor
