ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Two players. Two very different paths to dominance. One powerful statement for West Indies cricket.

Justin Greaves and Hayley Matthews have emerged as the latest standard-bearers for the West Indies, with both earning ICC Player of the Month honours for July following outstanding performances that captured the attention of the global cricketing community.

This was the first time two players from the region were recognised in the same month and only the fifth such instance since the inception of the awards in January 2021.

For Greaves, the award caps a remarkable rise in the Test arena. The Barbadian all-rounder has established himself as an increasingly valuable member of the West Indies middle order while continuing to make telling contributions with the ball.

His defining performance came against Sri Lanka at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, where he produced a magnificent 180 in an innings lasting more than eight-and-a-half hours from 325 deliveries with 14 fours and two sixes. The marathon effort helped West Indies secure a draw in the second test and a historic 1-0 series victory, their first Test series win over Sri Lanka in 26 years. Greaves was subsequently named Player of the Match and Player of the Series.

He then carried that impact into the Test series against Pakistan. In the opening Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, he delivered a career-best match haul of seven wickets for 39 runs, including 5-27 in the first innings featuring five consecutive wicket-maidens, a feat achieved for the first time in the game’s longest format, as West Indies secured a commanding 90-run victory.

said Greaves after being made aware of the award.

Greaves finished the summer with 294 runs at an average of 49 and 11 wickets as the fourth pace bowling option in the team.

For Matthews, July provided another chapter in an already extraordinary international career.

The West Indies Women’s captain produced a spectacular performance during the team’s 3-0 ODI series sweep of Ireland, scoring 265 runs at an average of 132.50 and earning Player of the Series honours.

Her brilliance was evident from the opening match, when she struck a century and shared a record-breaking opening partnership with Realanna Grimmond as West Indies chased down Ireland’s 269 with ease. Matthews followed that with another century in the second ODI, becoming the first West Indies player to score centuries in consecutive women’s ODIs.

The performances further underlined Matthews’ standing among the leading players in the women’s game. Already one of the most decorated players in the history of the ICC Player of the Month awards, she continues to combine prolific run-scoring with her effectiveness as an all-rounder and leadership at the top level.

said the five-time winner of the award.

What makes the recognition of Greaves and Matthews particularly significant is the differing nature of their contributions.

Greaves has emerged as a match-winning force in Test cricket, capable of changing the course of a game with either bat or ball. Matthews, meanwhile, continues to set the tempo for the West Indies Women, combining consistency, power and leadership to produce performances of international significance.

But the result is the same: two West Indies players standing at the centre of the international cricket conversation.

For Greaves and Matthews, the ICC recognition is more than a personal achievement. It is another powerful reminder of the quality, character and match-winning ability continuing to emerge from West Indies cricket.