"I was surprised how such a class player was let go unsold" - Reema Malhotra lauds Hayley Matthews' performance in MI's WPL 2023 win against RCB

Reema Malhotra has lauded Hayley Matthews for her match-winning performance in the Mumbai Indians' (MI) Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 clash against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Matthews first registered figures of 3/28 in four overs as MI bowled out RCB for 155 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, March 6. She then smashed an unbeaten 77 off just 38 balls to help her side chase down the below-par target with nine wickets and 34 deliveries to spare to register their second consecutive win of the tournament.

While reviewing the game on Sports18, Malhotra was all praise for Hayley Matthews, saying:

"I was surprised how such a class player was let go unsold. But eventually when the Mumbai Indians picked her, it was a steal for them. She showed her class today. She played a fantastic knock in the last match as well but she continued it today."

The former Indian cricketer highlighted how the West Indian all-rounder plays shots all around the park, elaborating:

"She didn't throw away her wicket and finished the match. Her shot selection kept on getting better. It is not that she scores runs just on the off-side. She scores runs all around the field, whether it is against the short ball or while playing the cover drive or the flick shot, which means she is a complete package."

Matthews went unsold in the first round of the auction last month. The West Indies skipper was eventually bought by the Mumbai Indians for her base price of ₹40 lakh.

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"We saw both power and finesse" - Parthiv Patel on Hayley Matthews' knock

Hayley Matthews struck 13 fours and a six during her innings. [P/C: wplt20.com]

Parthiv Patel pointed out that Hayley Matthews' knock was a mix of brute force and silken touch, observing:

"We saw both power and finesse. When she got slightly full deliveries, she pushed them into the gaps. The bowling was also a little ordinary. The way she started, it was a good ball and she played it to third man."

The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter was particularly appreciative of Matthews for staying until the end and ensuring that her team got across the line, stating:

"When you have power, the bowler is always under pressure. The best thing is that an opener won you the game by remaining unbeaten because finishing the game is extremely important, especially in the T20 format."

Matthews first added 45 runs for the opening wicket with Yastika Bhatia (23 off 19). She then stitched together an unbroken 114-run second-wicket partnership with Natalie Sciver-Brunt (55* off 29) to close out the Mumbai Indians' emphatic win.