Follow UsScotland Women did the unthinkable as they beat the top contender in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, 2025, West Indies, by 11 runs at Lahore on April 9 (Wednesday).
It was one of the strangest games as Hayley Matthews retired hurt, came back, and, in the end, remained unbeaten on 114, seeing her team lose the game after they were bowled out with the captain stranded at the non-striker’s end.
After being asked to bat first, Scotland Women put on a solid 244 in 45 overs, mainly thanks to Sarah Bryce’s 55 and Megan McColl’s 45. Matthews took four wickets for her team.
It shouldn’t have been a tough chase for a far more experienced West Indies team, especially when Matthews was anchoring it right from the start. However, they made it tougher by losing wickets at regular intervals.
After being 120/1 at one stage with Matthews and Zaida James all set, they lost the plot as Chloe Abel removed James and broke the 113-run stand. The Windies were then reduced to 199/8, with Matthews being stretchered off due to cramps.
But she came back, hit a ton, but was left stranded on the non-striker’s end as Aaliyah Alleyne was trapped LBW by Abtaha Maqsood, with Matthews on 114, left to rue her luck another day.
This was only the first instance of a captain scoring a century and taking four or more wickets in a women’s ODI. And after West Indies’ loss, it also became the first instance in both men’s and women’s cricket for a player to finish on the losing side after scoring a century and taking four wickets in the same game.