Barbados Today

Young Barbadian Hayley Matthews has broken into the top tiers of the player rankings for WBBL|02, while there have been a mixed bowl of performances by the rest of her West Indian compatriots.

The rankings, devised by esteemed Bond University Professor Steven Stern – the man who also lends his name to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method used for recalculating rain-affected run chase targets – with Cricket Australia, separates batters, bowlers and allrounders.

The system uses performances from both current and past Big Bash matches, weighted on a sliding scale. This season’s games will carry a full weighting in order to provide the most accurate, up-to-date measure of player performance.

Jamaican Stafanie Taylor was the only West Indian female to start this season’s ranking in the top tiers with a batting ranking of eight on 14.4 points. She has since slipped out of the top lists.

Matthews, however, has moved onto both the bowling and all-round lists through her performances at five with 20.9 points and four with 18.4 points respectively.

The other West Indian woman, Deandra Dottin, after a collision in her last game will most likely require surgery and could be out of this season’s Bash.

On the men’s side, Andre Russell, the only West Indian to be in the top batting list has slipped out of the top ten after three lackluster performances. Managing only nine runs off seven balls in his first outing. Russell has not seemed to be able to find any kind of batting form as he could only offer two off seven and eight off ten in his next two matches.

He has managed to stay a bit more consistent with the ball and his contributions of one for 27, two for 42, and none for 25 has kept him in the all-round top five, although he has slid from first to fourth. Russell, who has entertained with his black bat, will hope to put on more of a cricket show in his next performances.

Samuel Badree, who came in at the top, has remined at the pinnacle of BBL|06 bowling. His first offering of none for 22, while not in the wickets was instrumental as he delivered an elusive T20 maiden, ending with an economy rate of 5.5. His second game was even less expensive taking two for 20 going at just 5.0. Dwayne Bravo started this season sixth and third in the bowling and all-round lists respectively. With his 24 off 16 with the bat and two for 27 figures in his single outing he has stood firm in the top tier rankings.

The final West Indian in the top tiers this season is Kieron Pollard. While he has had some dismal performances with the bat, one off two, and then four off seven. His bowling figures of two for 27 and one for 10 has propelled him into fifth position in the bowling rankings just above fellow West Indian Bravo.

Sunil Narine, one of the other Caribbean boys, seems intent on breaking into the top lists himself and with two for 32 (8.00) and 11 off 4 not out he may just be in the running for the lists if he remains consistent.