Dubai
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews is closing in on the top spot of the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings after a stellar performance against South Africa. Matthews scored 147 runs across three matches, playing a key role in West Indies’ 2-1 series win—their first T20I series victory in over two years.
The 27-year-old reached a career-best 770 rating points, narrowing the gap to current No.1 Beth Mooney to just 24 points. Matthews continues to lead the T20I all-rounders’ chart as well.
South African players also made notable gains in the latest ICC rankings update. Tazmin Brits climbed two spots to sixth in the T20I batting list after consistent performances. Nadine de Klerk and Annerie Dercksen jumped to 51st and joint-79th, respectively. In the T20I bowling rankings, Nonkululeko Mlaba surged six places to eighth, while Ayabonga Khaka moved up four spots to 38th. For West Indies, veteran spinner Afy Fletcher climbed to 12th after taking two wickets in each of the last two T20Is.
The concluding ODI between the two sides also reshaped the ICC Women’s ODI rankings. Brits emerged as the leading scorer of the series with 184 runs, earning her a jump of six places to a career-high 21st in the ODI batting rankings. Her partner Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 75 in the final ODI, moved up to second place—just two rating points behind India’s Smriti Mandhana. Among bowlers, Marizanne Kapp, Mlaba, and Masabata Klaas all improved their standings, boosting South Africa’s strength across formats.
