Despite losing to a Hayley Matthews masterclass in the
second T20I against the West Indies, captain Alyssa Healy asserts that
Australia does not have trouble stopping the momentum of opposition bats.
At North Sydney Oval on Monday night, Matthews hit 132
off 64 balls to help West Indies defeat their goal of 213 and pull off the
largest chase in women’s T20I history.
Having previously enjoyed a 12-match winning streak
before being twice surprised by England in this year’s Ashes, the setback was
Australia’s third in four T20Is.
Matthews’ performance came after Australia encountered
similar difficulties in that series, during which Nat Sciver-Brunt of England
twice hit centuries in ODIs.
On Monday night, Matthews was bowled by Australia too
full and wide, and the West Indies captain smashed 11 fours and three sixes
between backward point and cover. As the match’s momentum turned away from the
hosts, they also lost Matthews twice.
Healy insisted ‘Plan B’, or the lack of one, was not
the issue at North Sydney Oval.
“We’ve got all the plans that we could possibly
have in our heads and we’ve got the skills to be able to do it out there,”
she said. “We’re just not executing when we need to, which we need to fix.
“We were too wide. You look at the way [Matthews]
swings the bat, she’s batting on leg stump, basically trying to open up the
offside. “We probably gave her a
little bit too much room in that department.”