The Melbourne Renegades have given the charismatic Hayley Matthews the reins of leadership this season in a calculated decision. This change occurs as a result of unfortunate events keeping the unstoppable Sophie Molineux inactive because of a recurring knee problem. When Molineux sustained a crippling ACL tear in November during WBBL 08, Matthews, a draft pick now in her second straight season with the Renegades, bravely filled in for Molineux.
Despite a number of strong competitors on the Melbourne Renegades squad, the West Indies captain was selected as the team’s captain.
Famous people competed for the position during this selection process, including Tammy Beaumont, the leader of Welsh Fire, and Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India. When asked about Matthews’ selection as the Melbourne Renegades’ captain, coach Simon Helmot offered his thoughts on this crucial choice.
“After Soph was hurt last year, Hayley captained our team and did a fantastic job; the girls have a lot of respect for her. It’s a huge plus for us to have her along with the expertise of Jess Duffin, Harmanpreet Kaur, and our vice-captain Georgia Wareham. He was reported by cricket.com.au as saying, “Hayley is highly invested in our club; she had a great experience last year and she wants to see us become more successful.
Hayley Matthews continues her stellar performance.
The 25-year-old is on an incredible run in T20 cricket, winning the prestigious Player of the Match award in each of her last eight games. Just a few weeks ago, she stunned Australia with her exceptional form, scoring an astounding 310 runs over three games against them, including a stunning 132-run knockout in the crucial second game at North Sydney Oval.
She has collected a stunning 452 runs in her previous seven T20I appearances at an excellent average of 90.4, hitting at a potent pace of 138.22. She bowled well, taking 15 key wickets at a cost-effective 10.6, maintaining a respectable economy rate of 6.11. Notably, the right-handed batter, who was named West Indies’ captain in June of last year, credits this important leadership position with helping her perform at her best.
“Honestly, the team’s leadership has really assisted me in accepting responsibility for my play. Along with that, playing so much franchise and T20 cricket around the world has helped me improve and understand my game a lot more. When those two were combined over the past 12 months, they really aided in both my ability to score runs and my consistency in doing so, she continued.