Matthews smashes 117 to help WI women level ODI series

After a duck in the first ODI and the washed-out second ODI, Hayley Matthews fired in the third, smashing her maiden hundred to help West Indies level the three-match series 1-1 against South Africa. Matthews struck 17 fours in her 146-ball 117 as West Indies piled up 292 after opting to bat, following which the right-arm pace of Deandra Dottin claimed four wickets to skittle the visitors out for 177.

After losing her opening partner Kycia Knight in the third over, Matthews played the starring role in a 176-run second-wicket partnership with the captain Stafanie Taylor (46) to set the base for a high-scoring finish to their innings, after which Dottin came in at No. 4 to smash a rapid 44-ball 59 - including three sixes - to take West Indies close to the three-hundred run mark. South Africa's Marizanne Kapp finished the innings with a four-wicket haul.

South Africa had a poor start to their chase, losing Lizelle Lee and Sune Luus inside the first five overs, but fighting half-centuries from Laura Wolvaardt (54) and the captain Dane van Niekerk (77) added 108 for the third wicket. After Wolvaardt was stumped off legspinner Afy Fletcher in the 30th over following her 82-ball stay, Dottin ran through the South Africa middle- and lower order.

South Africa lost their last six wickets for 25 runs, with the team being bowled out for 177 in the 43rd over. No batsman, apart from Wolvaardt and van Nierkerk, managed to reach double digits. Dottin's 4 for 36 was her second-best ODI figures. After the win, West Indies moved to fourth on the ICC Women's Championship points table while South Africa remained second-last in the eight-team competition.