WI Women vs Aus Women 3rd T20i: Mooney vs Matthews

The first two matches were very similar as Australia scored 164 in both matches, winning the first match by 43 runs and holding off a much stronger West Indies team in the second match, winning by 17 runs. In the first match, Beth Mooney scored 79 runs with 55 balls while Hayley Matthews scored 56 runs off 41 balls. The match on March 23 will feature two of the best batters for their respective teams.

For the West Indies, talent was never a concern. Matthews, Qiana Joseph, Stafanie Taylor, and Deandra Dottin have all shown that they can perform at a high level in short bursts. The issue for the West Indies is putting together a full 20-over performance. Australia has consistently found ways to take wickets at key times, used spin through the middle overs to limit scoring opportunities, and made the figure “164” feel larger than it appears on the scorecard.For an Indian audience, this T20 contest may be simple to see what is going on, but very difficult to play due to the necessity for one side to continue to achieve victory in the crucial overs and the other team to continue to require “just one more partnership.” Thusly, the third T20 International cricket match between Women’s West Indies and Women’s Australia was a strong challenge to each of the teams to display not only their respective athletic ability, but their understanding of the dynamics of a T20 Game.

A Deeper Exploration

Australia controlled the middle overs

The biggest statistic in this three-match series was not the score of 164; rather, it was the space between going from setting to remaining in the chase during the two innings each team played in this series. In Match One, Australia slowed the West Indies down after the Powerplay; they finished that innings with three wickets taken by Alana King (3/14) and two wickets taken by Georgia Whearham (2/14). During Match Two, following the successes of Georgia Voll (39 off 23 balls) and Ellyse Perry (42), Australia was able to remove Matthews (1/24) and Taylor (1/25) thanks to the fine bowling of Kim Garth (20 runs/4 overs).

The bowling of Australia has been very consistent throughout the series, with no major errors made, allowing Australia to restrict scoring during times of poor play. Thus, it can reasonably be assumed that because of this pattern, and due to the superior understanding that the team has of the T20 format, Australia will continue to do this in its match against the West Indies in the final T20. Teams that tend to dominate the middle overs of a T20 game are likely to keep dominating in their overall match success. In the case of Australia, they have been able to do so through utilisation of bowling variety, and not through sheer speed or strength and power.A legspin delivery would constitute one aspect of it as a “one to four” delivery, followed by a hard length delivery from Garry Dunn. Next we may see a varied pace delivery brought to the table with Dell Perry or Manaswan’s variation. This is all very confusing to any batting squad, especially to a squad looking for a consistent tempo. The cleanest start for Australian cricket continues to be made by Beth Mooney.

Beth Mooney scored 79 runs in the first match; this was not only the match winner, it was also a reminder of why she is such a challenging player to confront at the top of the order in T20. With regard to her early collapsible starts, she still has maintained a consistent style through the middle overs and produced boundaries late enough in an innings to enable Australia to reach a score that could not be threatened. A large majority of Beth Mooney’s accomplishments can also be seen in a larger context: according to the latest player ranking by the ICC, Beth Mooney has scored 3517 runs, has an average of 41.87 and boasts a strike-rate of 125.79. This says there is something to be said for how she reads the game and finds scoring opportunities at the same time. The second T20I match has shown another valuable facet of Beth Mooney’s performances. Although she only scored 17 runs, she still played a role in helping Australia produce a total score of 164 runs.

This has relevance to the upcoming match for the West Indies Women vs Australia Women. The West Indies cannot assume the problem is solved by simply focusing on Beth Mooney. Lilly Voll has demonstrated another way that Australian success can come from through attacking play at the top of the order, as well as Perry’s ability to control the middle overs of the innings.

Mooney’s performance in the beginning will dictate the rest of the game from a tactical standpoint. If Matthews and Afy Fletcher can slow down the scoring in the area of their games, it keeps the West Indies in the match for more of the innings. If she is able to get 25 runs off 20 balls or more, then Australia will put together the innings on their own terms. This is the period where the West Indies need to be aggressive against her.

If the West Indies want to win

Matthews is their best route.

No player in this match has had as many phases as Matthews. In the second T20I match, she scored 56 runs from 41 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes, putting pressure on Australia. After she was out which was due to King, the centre of their chase disappeared. Dottin’s contributions were enough to keep the run rate on course, but the game had already shifted.

Matthews numbers throughout her career indicate why the West Indies depend heavily on her. In 117 T20Is, ESPNcricinfo has Matthews down for 3084 runs, 115 wickets, and 3084 runs. That level of combined output is elite, due to the fact that all phases of this event revolve around Matthews, be it with bat and ball or fielding and matchups.

The West Indies still need other players to come along for the ride with Matthews. Joseph’s 45 runs in the first match were very helpful. Taylor’s 28 runs in the first match and 22 runs in the second gave structure to the chase early on. Dottin’s finish in the second match demonstrated that her finishing power is still present.To date, Australian cricket has consistently produced the one thing that the West Indies have yet to do; Two strong contributions from their middle-order batters in the same innings that they put together at the right moments of time.

The marquee player for this series has been Matthews, though she is not the only story. If she can carry her form through the first 15 overs of the innings and either Joseph or Dottin can start to build a partnership with Matthews, then the West Indies will put real pressure on the Australian side. If Matthews gets out during the first 10 overs, then the next pair of batters will need to rebuild, and Australia would be back in familiar territory in terms of the game returning to a winning position from their perspective.

This series has been shaped

more by the spin bowlers than fast bowlers.

Arnos Vale is a fine batting wicket and, in fact, during both matches, there were many opportunities to score runs. Both matches featured 160-plus scores, but overall, the results of the first two matches appear to favour bowlers who can control their changes of pace and bowl to a consistent line and length. On the other hand, as the ball gets softer, batters have to create their own scoring opportunities, and the Australian bowlers have had the advantage here.

In addition, King has been the standout performer. In her eight overs she has picked up five wickets for only 39 runs, and Wareham provided valuable support in the first T20I, grabbing two wickets, and Garth showed himself to be extremely important with his control in the second match, even though he didn’t take wickets. The West Indies have had some successful overs against Australian pace bowlers; however, the spin bowling and control exhibited by both Wareham and Garth have continually caused the West Indies innings to become shorter than what they needed to be and to finish with less total runs than they would have hoped to achieve.

However, Matthews and Fletcher still have the ability to push back in the third match.Matthews selected Phoebe Litchfield during the second game, and Fletcher acquired Mooney, while the bowling attack by the West Indies restricted Australia to less than 170. There is still much to play in this contest between the two teams, and the West Indies now require that same pressure they applied to Australia during their innings, with the same intensity of calmness to chase down Australia’s total.

The reason the Mooney-Matthews headline works, is due to the fact that they are respectively providing Australia with the structure and tempo through their play. With Mooney controlling the tempo from the crease, while Matthews can control the tempo at almost every location on-field with both bat and ball.

Selection news and flexibility

The selection news gives Australia plenty of flexibility in terms of rotation, however it affords Australia very little risk. The series started as an experiment for Australia because Sophie Molineux assumed the captaincy after missing out on the first series due to injury. Australia managed her return and gave Sophie Molineux a managed workload during the early part of the series. Reports preceding the series stated with regard to her workload, and that of other players, therefore it has created the atmosphere of selection uncertainty for the Australian side throughout this series.

Another aspect that may come into play for the final match is that Cricket Australia reported to have Ashleigh Gardner under a cloud heading to the final T20I match after having missed the second match of the series, which provides Australia with the opportunity to think about making another change in their line-up if required. That is a luxury that is afforded to Australia as they lead the series 2-0. The West Indies do not have that luxury heading into the final T20I match, and in fact, they need to have their best possible XI on the field, and also have an improved batting map in place to try and get the job done.Continuity may work in favour of the West Indies. In the second game, the West Indies batting line-up came together better with Matthews appearing much more at ease and with Dottin’s great finish creating some late-innings menace for the Australians. In a short series, just one good Powerplay with the bat can alter the perception of the series. That is what the West Indies will be looking for now.

A simple summarised preview

A simple summarised preview is that Australia are favoured but that the West Indies have sufficient potential for it to be a difficult contest if Matthews performs exceptionally well during the first half of their innings or in the Powerplay phase of Australia’s innings.

Australia have been a ‘cleaner’ team, a calmer team, and the team that continually performs consistently at the appropriate times.

At times, the West Indies have demonstrated enough form to believe they can win but not enough consistent control of their games to think winning is an almost foregone conclusion.

There are three points to watch for. Can the West Indies prevent Australia from establishing a stable left-right opening rhythm in the first six overs? Can Matthews receive support before the tenth over should the West Indies be batting second? Can Australia continue to turn set batters into floundering run chases via King and Garth and through the quality of their surrounding fielding? These are the overs that have determined the outcome of the series thus far and should determine the final outcome of the series in St. Vincent as well.In These Matches Key Observations

In These Matches Key Observations

Final Thoughts

Therefore, the approaching third T20I match between WI Women vs Aus Women should not be a series decider, but nonetheless, it is a key indicator of both teams’ potential for success against tougher tests later this year. Australia wants a clean sweep and another successful series under Molineux’s new captaincy; whereas the West Indies are seeking additional validation that their game is capable of sustaining success and not solely relying on brief spurts of performance for six to seven overs.

Mooney represents control and stability for Australia; while Matthews represents an opportunity for hope for the West Indies—the best analogy for this finale would be that Mooney is to Australia what Matthews is to the West Indies.

The first six overs, as well as the period from the 7th to 14th overs, will be important to watch. If the West Indies win one and split the other, then the game will still be relevant to the end. However, if Australia controls both sections of the game, then expect that the scorecard will look as it did when the West Indies completed the series on St Vincent.