Matthew Forde – Barbadian Cricketer Stats and Career
Matthew Walter Forde is a Barbadian cricketer whose ODI debut brought Player of the Match honours against England. He took three wickets for 29 runs and scored 13 not out in that match. His career milestones also include performances for St Lucia Kings and Dambulla Aura.
2024 CPL champion
ODI debut player of the match
3/29
Player of the Match vs England · 9 December 2023
16 balls
58 runs from 19 balls vs Ireland
5/23
St Lucia Kings vs Jamaica Kingsmen · 21 August 2026
11th
ICC men’s T20I bowling rankings · October 2026
About the athlete
Full name
Matthew Walter Forde
Date of birth
29 April 2002
Place of birth
Barbados
Sport
Cricket
International side
West Indies (2023–present)
Player role
Bowler / All-rounder (Right-arm medium, lower-order hitter)
Batting style
Right-handed
Bowling style
Right-arm medium
Caribbean Premier League club
St Lucia Kings
Lanka Premier League club
Dambulla Aura
Career
The T20 debut came on 1 September 2022, when Forde represented St Lucia Kings in a Caribbean Premier League fixture against Trinbago Knight Riders. That appearance began the sequence of format debuts recorded for him. On 31 October of the same year, he made his List A debut when Combined Campuses and Colleges played Trinidad and Tobago.
In 2022, Forde also signed with Dambulla Aura for the Lanka Premier League season. His first T20 half-century came on 19 December, in a do-or-die match against Galle Gladiators. Dambulla Aura were close to elimination, making the match an important result in their season.
Forde took four wickets for 11 runs from four overs against Galle Gladiators. That spell equated to an economy rate of 2.75 runs per over. He then scored 52 from 30 balls, a strike rate of 173.33, combining a substantial bowling return with his first T20 fifty.
Dambulla Aura won the match comfortably, but the result did not secure a place in the play-offs. The team failed to chase 130 runs in 11 overs, a required rate of 11.82 runs per over. Forde’s performance therefore stood out within a campaign that ended before the play-offs.
Forde made his ODI debut for West Indies against England on 9 December 2023 in Bridgetown, Barbados. He took three wickets for 29 runs in eight overs, with an economy rate of 3.63. Forde also scored 13 not out, then shared a match-winning partnership with Romario Shepherd.
Forde received Player of the Match honours for his debut performance. The match brought together his bowling contribution and an unbeaten score, while the partnership with Shepherd helped West Indies secure the win. The debut took place in Barbados, the country Forde represents by nationality.
A separate match against Ireland produced another notable batting performance. Forde reached a half-century in 16 balls and went on to score 58 from 19 balls, giving him a strike rate of 305.26. The 16-ball fifty matched a record held by AB De Villiers of South Africa.
The Ireland innings also supplied Forde’s highest individual score among the performances described here. The 58 runs came from 19 deliveries, while the earlier T20 fifty had taken 30 balls. Together, the innings show two distinct scoring returns across his recorded career.
In 2024, Forde became a key player in both franchise leagues and international cricket. He was crucial in the St Lucia Kings clinching their first Caribbean Premier League title, racking up 11 wickets across 12 matches, with his best showing being 3 for 21 against the Barbados Royals on 21 September 2024. On the international stage, he delivered his career-best ODI bowling performance on 29 October 2024 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, grabbing 3 wickets for 36 runs in 8 overs. In a tight contest, he took a memorable 3 for 27 in 4 overs against England during a T20I at Gros Islet on November 16, 2024. Over all T20 matches in 2024, Forde picked up 24 wickets with an average of 22.15 and had an economy rate of 8.12.
In 2025, Forde solidified his place as a key all-rounder for the West Indies in the limited-overs formats. In the 2025 West Indies Super50 Cup, he spearheaded Barbados’s bowling with 14 wickets over 7 innings, securing a five-wicket haul of 5 for 38 against Windward Islands on February 12, 2025. Forde claimed 3 for 18 in 4 overs during the second T20I at Lauderhill on July 19, 2025, maintaining an economy rate of 4.50 for that game. In the 2025 Caribbean Premier League season, he took 13 wickets across 10 matches for the St Lucia Kings and scored 118 runs at a strike rate of 162.50, showing just how valuable he is as a lower-order finisher.
Career Honors, Awards and Key Records
Forde’s listed honours and personal marks centre on his ODI debut and his performances in franchise cricket.
| Record | Achievement Details |
|---|---|
| CPL Championship Title | Won the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title with St Lucia Kings. |
| ODI Debut Award | Player of the Match honors on international ODI debut against England (3/29 & 13 not out). |
| Best Listed T20 Bowling | 4/11 in four overs for Dambulla Aura against Galle Gladiators. |
| First T20 Fifty | 52 runs from 30 balls against Galle Gladiators. |
| Fastest Listed Fifty | Half-century in 16 balls against Ireland (equaling a milestone record). |
| Highest Listed Score | 58 runs from 19 deliveries against Ireland. |
For Barbados
Matthew Forde has quickly established himself as a key player for the West Indies national team. His international debut took place right on his home ground in Barbados. In that match against England, he delivered a standout performance and earned the Player of the Match award. He took three wickets with great economy and contributed a vital 13 runs with the bat. Forde continues to feature regularly for the national side in limited-overs formats.
Forde’s Career in 2026
Back in February 2026, Matthew Forde took the field for the West Indies during the T20 World Cup. In the game against Italy on February 19, he picked up 3 wickets while conceding just 19 runs.
During the summer of 2026, he participated in the CPL tournament with the St Lucia Kings. In the match on August 21 versus the Jamaica Kingsmen, Forde put on the finest show of his career. He claimed 5 wickets for just 23 runs, snagging the Player of the Match award.
Come the fall of 2026, he joined the national team for a series of matches in India. By October 2026, Forde made his way up to the 11th spot in the ICC global bowling rankings. At just 24, he’s still one of the standout players for the West Indies.
FAQ
Matthew Walter Forde is a Barbadian cricketer.
Forde made his ODI debut against England in Bridgetown on 9 December 2023.
St Lucia Kings was Forde’s Caribbean Premier League side; Dambulla Aura signed him for the 2022 Lanka Premier League season.
Forde’s highest listed score is 58 from 19 balls against Ireland.
Forde’s best listed T20 figures are four wickets for 11 runs in four overs against Galle Gladiators.