Matthews stars but MI London go down in opener

LONDON, England (CMC):

West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews top-scored for MI London Women, but her team still went down by seven wickets to Sunrisers Leeds Women in the opening match of the Women’s Hundred here on Tuesday.

Matthews hit 33 off 22 balls with four fours and one six in her side’s below-par score of 107 for eight after they were sent in to bat at Kennington Oval.

Matthews and fellow opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who scored 29 off 20 balls, shared an opening stand of 56 off 37 balls, but once Deepti Sharma got the breakthrough by holding on to a return catch to dismiss Matthews, MI London’s batting faltered, with Melie Kerr, who scored 13, the only other batter to get into double digits.

Fellow West Indian Chinelle Henry made just six off 11 balls.

Hannah Baker (2-16), Dani Gibson (2-17), and Sharma (2-20) all took two wickets each.

Phoebe Litchfield then scored a quick-fire 43 off 26 balls, while Annabel Sutherland hit an unbeaten 30 off 23 balls to lead Leeds Women to 109 for three with 31 balls to spare.

The two added 57 runs for the third wicket off 36 balls, following the early losses of Bryony Smith and Jess Jonassen, that reduced them to 24 for two.

Both Henry and Matthews went wicketless in their 15-ball spells.