Matthews urges fearless Windies Women approach in T20 World Cup semi against Australia

LONDON, England (CMC) — West Indies captain Hayley Matthews says her squad will take the field on Tuesday for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia carrying a mindset of having nothing on the line — a posture she believes could unsettle the competition's top-ranked favourites.

At a pre-match media briefing before the knockout fixture, Matthews projected calm assurance even as her side prepares to face the world's leading-ranked team, which rolled into the last four on the back of a commanding win over India in its concluding group-stage outing.

"We certainly feel like coming up against Australia, we have nothing to lose, and that puts us in a position where we can be quite fearless going out there," Matthews said.

The Caribbean unit has endured a demanding route to the semi-finals. Matthews spoke of satisfaction with how the campaign has unfolded so far, while insisting the group still has considerable ground to reach peak form.

"It's obviously been quite a journey to get here, but I think as a team we're really proud of the way we've played so far, but still know that we haven't been at our best, which gives us a lot of confidence knowing that we can still get a lot better," she said.

Pressed on whether memories of the West Indies' 2016 World Cup title at Eden Gardens might fuel Tuesday's effort, Matthews offered a measured response.

"Slightly," she said. "That was 10 years ago and a much different group. I also think the game was a lot different at that time."

She instead cited more current benchmarks — chiefly a 2023 clash with Australia — as more useful preparation for the upcoming meeting.

"I feel like at the Oval, conditions might be pretty similar," she said. "We saw the game that England played the other day at home. The wicket was coming on, and the par score we feel is certainly going to be a lot higher than it was so far in the competition."

Matthews distilled a central takeaway from recent battles with the Australian juggernaut: sustained intensity is non-negotiable.

"You can't take your foot off the gas at any point in time, I think, especially when you're bowling. They seem to come hard from ball one and have a mantra where they just want to keep going," she said.

She underscored that converting chances matters against opponents who forge partnerships and maintain relentless pressure throughout.

"You're going to have to hold on to your chances for sure and understand that at some point in the game, a partnership likely will build," she said. "It's about trying to control the flow of the runs as much as possible and just trying to build as much pressure as possible."

On what victory would require against the tournament's leading contender, Matthews left little room for ambiguity.

"We're going to need big performances from big players," she said. "I think we're certainly going to need a standout individual performance, I believe. But I think to beat a team like Australia, you still need more than one player, and we're going to have to have our best players really stepping up to the plate tomorrow."

She praised the tournament input of contributors such as Aliyah Alleyne and Jahzara Claxton, while conceding that the side's senior figures must deliver with the bat.

"I think I said multiple times that we haven't had our best match yet," she said. "We haven't had the likes of myself or Deandra Dottin in the runs, really. And that leaves a lot of room for improvement for us as a team."

With external pressure weighing heavily on Australia, Matthews argued her players can draw strength from lowered outside expectations.

"When we step out onto that field, everyone's expecting us not to win, in a sense," she said. "And when you go into a game with people probably looking at you thinking that if you do win, it's going to be a surprise, you certainly feel that you can just go there, be free."