West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has broken her silence on the controversial DRS decision that led to her dismissal during her side’s 38-run defeat to England in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord’s.
The incident occurred in the fourth over of West Indies’ chase when Matthews attempted a cut shot against spinner Linsey Smith. England wicketkeeper Amy Jones appealed for a catch behind, but on-field umpire N Janani initially turned down the appeal. England skipper Charlie Dean then opted for a review.
During the DRS check, replays did not provide conclusive visual evidence of a nick, with the ball appearing to pass close to the bat. However, UltraEdge registered a spike as the ball went past Matthews. Despite front-on replays seemingly showing a visible gap between bat and ball, TV umpire Nimali Perera ruled that there was sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field decision and adjudged Matthews out.
The West Indies skipper was visibly frustrated by the verdict. She engaged in discussions with the on-field umpires before making her way back to the pavilion. Matthews later reviewed the footage alongside head coach Shane Deitz and was also seen speaking with reserve umpire Kerrin Klaaste near the boundary.
Speaking after the match, Matthews maintained that she did not believe she had edged the ball and suggested that the noise picked up by the technology may have originated from another source.
“When I cut at the ball, I heard something which I thought was probably my bat handle or something like that, and I immediately went to the on-field umpires and told them that I heard a noise,” Matthews explained in her post-match press conference.
While expressing her disagreement with the decision, Matthews acknowledged that she had to accept the verdict delivered by the third umpire.
“I felt like you could have seen a clear gap between bat and ball, but at the same time, [the TV umpire] has got to work with the technology that there is, and she saw a spike, and at the end of the day, I’m going to have to respect that,” she continued.
Despite the defeat, West Indies remain second in Group 2 with three wins from four matches. England have already secured a place in the semi-finals, while the Caribbean side still control their own destiny. A victory over Ireland in their final group-stage fixture will guarantee qualification for the last four.
However, a defeat could leave them vulnerable to being overtaken on net run rate by New Zealand and Sri Lanka if both teams win their remaining matches.
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