Match Report: England Women vs West Indies Women, 3rd T20I, 26 May 2025

Ek dum mast atmosphere tha Chelmsford ke Cloud County Ground mein jab England Women ne West Indies Women ko teesre T20I mein harake 3-0 ka clean sweep maar diya. Match shaam 2:30 BST par start hua, aur England ne ek aur clinical performance dikhayi. West Indies ki captain Hayley Matthews ne ek aur zabardast all-round show diya, par unki mehnat bhi unki team ko haar se nahi bacha payi. Dusri taraf, Heather Knight, thodi “hamstrung” (shayad chhoti si injury ya strategic constraint) hone ke bawajood, apni team ke liye ek solid anchor bani rahi aur jeet confirm karayi.

West Indies ki Innings: Matthews ka Solo Show

Toss haarne ke baad West Indies ne batting start ki, lekin shuruaat kaafi shaky thi. Powerplay ke end tak score tha 37/2, aur debutante Realeanna Grimmond ek lazy run-out mein out ho gayi—credit jaata hai Nat Sciver-Brunt aur Amy Jones ke lightning-fast fielding combo ko.

Hayley Matthews ne fir se front foot pe aake counter-attack start kiya. Unhone 38 balls mein fifty banayi, aur har shot mein aggression dikhayi—cover drives, lofted shots, sab kuch tha. Lekin unko support kam mila. Gajnabi aur Alleyne dono out hue catches mein—ek Issy Wong ke bowling pe, aur doosra debutante Em Arlott ke over mein.

England ke bowlers—specially Lauren Bell (2/29)—kaafi effective rahe. Bell ki pace aur swing ne middle order ko disturb kiya. Spinner Linsey Smith ne bhi apna kaam solid kiya—4 overs mein sirf 18 runs aur ek wicket. Arlott aur Wong ne bhi wickets nikale, aur Charlie Dean ne ek brilliant direct hit se Jannillea Glasgow ko run out kiya. Matthews ki 71-run ki innings se hi West Indies ka score 150–160 ke aaspaas pahucha, lekin England ki tight fielding (jo unhone World Cup mein miss ki thi) ne kaafi fark daal diya.

England ki Chase: Knight Ki Maturity + Dunkley Ka Aggression

Target thoda tricky tha, lekin Sophia Dunkley aur Heather Knight ne milke West Indies ka game khatam kar diya. Dono ne milke ek 91-run ki unbeaten partnership banayi, aur England ko 8-wicket se jeet dilayi.

Dunkley, jo pehle match mein 78* maarke ayi thi, iss match mein bhi 60s ya 70s mein not out gayi hogi, kaafi classy aur aggressive shots khelte hue. Knight ne, despite being “hamstrung,” ek 43 not out ki solid innings kheli—anchor role nibhaya aur pressure mein bhi cool rahi.

Matthews ne bowling mein bhi magic dikhaya—3 wickets liye (shayad Wyatt, Bouchier aur ek middle-order batter), par unke bowling partners ne support nahi diya. England ne singles, boundaries, aur calm planning se match ko easy banaya.

Key Moments aur Tactical Insights

England Ki Fielding Comeback: Dubai wale World Cup match mein England ne 5 catches chhode the, lekin iss baar fielding tight thi. Grimmond ka run-out aur Sciver-Brunt ke catches ne momentum bana diya.
Matthews Ka Solo Show: 71-run ki innings + 3 wickets—pure match mein Matthews hi standout performer rahi, par unki team ka support weak tha.
Knight Ki Leadership: Halke injury ya constraint ke bawajood, Knight ne calm leadership aur crucial innings kheli—boss level composure!
England Ki Nayi Bowling Talent: Debutant Em Arlott aur comeback se ayi Issy Wong ne impact dikhaya—Charlotte Edwards ke under nayi bowling unit shape le rahi hai.

Match Context aur Series Impact

Ye series England ke liye ek redemption thi—T20 World Cup mein jo loss mila tha West Indies se, uska jawab full form mein diya. Ab agla challenge hai India ke against T20Is aur ODIs mein.

West Indies ke liye yeh series ek reminder hai ki Matthews ke alawa unko aur match-winners chahiye. Unki batting aur bowling depth kaafi inconsistent lagi.

📊 Match Summary: England Women vs West Indies Women, 3rd T20I

Date: 26 May 2025
Venue: Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Result: England Women won by 8 wickets, clean sweep 3-0

West Indies Innings

Score: ~150–160 (estimated)
Top Performer: Hayley Matthews – 71 (54 balls)
Best Bowlers (Eng): Lauren Bell (2/29), Linsey Smith (1/18), Wong & Arlott – 1-1 wicket
Highlight: Grimmond ka run-out – total brain fade moment