The West Indies women wrapped up their ODI series against Zimbabwe with a commanding 91-run victory in the final game, taking the contest 2-1. Hayley Matthews struck her second hundred across three matches, while Shemaine Campbelle came agonisingly close to a second ODI century of her own.
Choosing to bat first, the visitors reached 271 for 5. The start was sluggish, yet Matthews took charge, claiming 34 of the 38 runs that came in the opening ten overs. Realeanna Grimmond couldn’t find her rhythm and was castled by left-arm quick Nomvelo Sibanda for 3 from 27 deliveries, which proved Zimbabwe’s only real highlight for a long while.
What followed was a 160-run stand for the second wicket, built over 168 balls. Matthews raced to fifty in 55 balls and reached three figures off 98. That freed Campbelle to settle in and construct her knock at a measured tempo. Matthews eventually mistimed a Sibanda delivery in the 39th over and departed for 118 from 113 balls, having narrowly missed a double hundred in the opening game.
Campbelle reached her half-century in 70 balls, then accelerated sharply, adding 46 more from 49 deliveries. She fell for 96 when she tried to work legspinner Beloved Biza through midwicket and Kelis Ndhlovu leapt to hold a diving catch. Late hitting from Jannillea Glasgow and Jahzara Claxton lifted the total further.
Zimbabwe’s reply never gathered steam. Both openers were gone inside 14 balls, one of them courtesy of a stunning take from Grimmond, who sprinted in from the deep midwicket boundary and dived forward to snaffle a flick off Zaida James. Skipper Josephine Nkomo stood alone with an unbeaten 74, her sixth ODI half-century and just two short of her best, but support was nowhere to be seen and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 180.
One worry clouds the celebrations. Campbelle clutched her chest in the eighth over of the chase and was taken off on a stretcher. With Matthews skipping the T20I leg for personal reasons, Campbelle was a leading candidate to captain the side, making her fitness a real concern.
