West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has embraced her side’s status as underdogs ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup semifinal against Australia at the Oval. With Australia entering the contest unbeaten and widely favored, Matthews believes the lack of external expectations could help her team play with greater freedom.
The Caribbean side arrives in the knockout stage after a mixed campaign, but Matthews insists West Indies thrive when doubted and remain capable of producing the kind of standout performances required to challenge the strongest team in women’s cricket.
West Indies Look Back on a Rare Success Against Australia
One of the most memorable victories over Australia in recent years came on October 2, 2023, at North Sydney Oval. On that occasion, Matthews struck a stunning 132 from 64 balls, while Stafanie Taylor contributed 59 off 41 deliveries.
Their partnership of 174 runs for the second wicket powered West Indies to a successful chase of 213, securing a remarkable win over Australia.
With neither team placing much emphasis on the 2016 T20 World Cup final result, that North Sydney triumph remains one of the clearest reminders that West Indies can overcome Australia when conditions align.
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Matthews Embraces the Pressure-Free Mindset
Ahead of the semifinal, Matthews suggested that public expectations heavily favor Australia, a situation she believes can work to West Indies’ advantage.
Playing Without Expectations
Speaking on Monday before the semifinal, Matthews said:
“I just feel like when we step out onto that field, everyone’s expecting us not to win, in a sense. When you go into a game with people probably looking at you thinking that if you do win, it’s going to be a surprise, you certainly feel like that you can just go there (and) be free.
“I almost feel like a bit more of the pressure is on a team like Australia who are going to be expected to beat us. And if they don’t, it’ll probably be a massive disappointment for them. So even though we have a lot of care and a lot of passion and we want to win, we’re certainly not expected to, I think, by the masses. And that eases a bit of the pressure off of our shoulders when it comes to expectations”
Australia have won every match in the tournament so far, while West Indies reached the semifinals despite suffering a disappointing defeat to Ireland in their final group-stage fixture.
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Using Doubt as Motivation
Matthews explained that skepticism from outside the dressing room often fuels the team’s performances in major tournaments.
World Cup Performances and Team Mentality
She said:
“I feel like we kind of show up almost every single time we come to a World Cup. I don’t know what it is within the group – if it’s the passion or the drive, but I certainly feel like there is a sense of loving to prove people wrong and knowing that, yes, we have to prove ourselves over and over. But I think it drives a lot of our players, and we try to use it as motivation and use it as fuel to just want to play harder and want to prove ourselves every single time.”
The West Indies captain also reflected on the team’s inconsistency, highlighting how quickly fortunes have shifted during the tournament.
After defeating stronger opposition, the side stumbled against Ireland, a result Matthews acknowledged contrasted sharply with expectations.
“Then we obviously had the game against Ireland the other day, where it was the complete opposite. We were probably expected to win a bit easier as well, and I don’t want to say choke, but we choked up a little bit.
“I think there is an added fire to us when people think we can’t get the job done. And I’m not just saying that. I think I see it amongst the group and even within the huddle before we step out onto the field. You can always sort of feel a different sense of energy when it is that people are doubting us. And I think we just relish in that a lot of the time.”
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Australia Aware of West Indies’ Match-Winners
Australia all-rounder Ash Gardner acknowledged that West Indies possess players capable of changing a game single-handedly.
Gardner particularly highlighted Matthews’ influence and the all-round threat posed by Deandra Dottin.
She said:
“They’re a completely different threat. They’ve got a lot of class and a lot of firepower within their team. Also a lot of experience, obviously led brilliantly by Hayley Matthews, who’s a player that can take away a game pretty quickly.
“But then you look at someone like Deandra Dottin, she’s a threat in all three phases of the game. She’s a fantastic player. I’ve had the privilege of playing with her, and I guess just seeing how she goes about her cricket, she’s so fearless in the way that she approaches it, which sometimes can be quite scary because she can flick a switch pretty quickly. But then just to see the inexperience as well that they’ve got and that rawness that they’ve got within their side. They definitely pose a different threat.”
A Challenging Road to the Semifinals
Despite reaching the final four, West Indies entered the World Cup with little momentum.
Before the tournament, they failed to register a victory in home series against Australia and Sri Lanka. They also suffered defeat to Ireland in a tri-series.
However, once the World Cup began, West Indies built confidence by opening their campaign with three consecutive victories.
Even so, Matthews acknowledged that defeating Australia would require exceptional performances from the team’s leading figures.
Big Players Must Deliver on the Big Stage
Matthews believes West Indies need their established stars to produce decisive contributions if they are to advance.
Her own record against Australia highlights her importance. She has played a central role in both of West Indies’ T20I victories over Australia. Matthews owns a batting average of 46.09 against Australia and has also claimed 15 wickets in 13 matches.
Stafanie Taylor has likewise enjoyed success against Australia, registering five half-centuries in 18 appearances.
Matthews said:
“We’re going to need big performances from big players. We’re certainly going to need a standout individual performance. To beat a team like Australia, you still need more than one player, and we’re going to have to have our best players really stepping up to the plate tomorrow. Players like Aliyah Alleyne, Jahzara Claxton, they’ve been great role players throughout the tournament. And I think with our stars alongside players like them really playing massive roles, we’re going to have to put together an all-round game as a group.
“I’ve said multiple times that we haven’t had our best match yet. We haven’t had the likes of myself or Deandra Dottin in the runs really- And that leaves a lot of room for improvement for us as a team. So hopefully we can see some of us stepping up a bit more and taking it to the Aussies.”
Emerging Players Provide Additional Optimism
Matthews praised the contributions of younger squad members and credited the broader group for helping West Indies progress despite the lack of major scores from several star players.
She reserved particular praise for Aaliyah Allyne while discussing the impact of the team’s emerging talent.
“They (younger players) obviously are coming up against people who they saw, I guess, ruling the cricket world a bit when they were a bit younger. And I know they look up to a few of those players. At the same time, I know it’ll mean so much to them if they can come up against them and perform really well too. So they’re definitely going to be out there gunning for them, I hope. Our young players are full of passion and drive as well, so I know they’ll use that to their best advantage.
“I haven’t made a 50. Deandra Dottin hasn’t gotten runs. Chinelle Henry’s got a 1 score. Stafanie Taylor hasn’t gotten a 50. And we’re winning games, and that’s probably something that we haven’t seen in a very, very, very long time. So the fact that we have other people – and it certainly feels like we have a team collectively getting the job done rather than one or two players pulling the weight.
“It certainly means that we have so much better that we can get if we do see some of our bigger players step up. So I think it’s just about us going out there and actually executing it and getting the job done. But it certainly leaves a scope for a lot of belief for us.”
Conclusion
As West Indies prepare to face an unbeaten Australian side in the semifinal, Matthews has chosen to embrace the outsider label rather than resist it. While Australia remain the overwhelming favorites on paper, the West Indies captain believes her team’s tendency to respond when challenged could make them dangerous opponents.
Whether that confidence translates into another memorable upset remains to be seen, but West Indies enter the contest convinced they still have a higher level to reach and enough match-winners capable of producing it when it matters most.
