B RIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – West Indies batting star Hayley Matthews will lead Barbados in the Regional Women’s Championship which bowls off in Guyana next week.

The 20-year-old is the current Windies vice-captain, having been a fixture in the Caribbean side every since her debut as a 16-year-old back in 2014, and takes over the helm of the national squad from fast bowler Shakera Selman, who will serve as vice-captain.

An opening batsman and a penetrative off-spinner, Matthews has already played 39 One-Day Internationals and 38 Twenty20 Internationals.

She missed the last tour of Pakistan and Dubai with an injury sustained while playing in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia.

Matthews will lead a squad that includes fellow Windies players Selman, Deandra Dottin, Shamilia Connell and the twin Kycia and Kyshona Knight.

Charlene Taitt and Danielle Small both have West Indies experience but neither have played at the highest level in nine years.

The championship, divided into the Super50 and Twenty20 Blaze, runs from March 14 to April 4.

Squad – Hayley Matthews (captain), Shakera Selman (vice- captain), Aaliyah A. Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Shai Carrington, Shaunte Carrington, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Rashida Goring, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Sherika Lopez, Danielle Small, Charlene Taitt.