Sri Lanka beat Windies by 10 runs to take WODI series lead
Ranaweera, a veteran left-arm orthodox bowler appearing in her 87th WODI, claimed her fourth four-wicket haul with figures of 4 for 44 and was eventually named player of the match. She came in as the first bowling change and forced one-down batter Shermaine Campbelle (12) into a rash shot that was caught by the young Vishmi Gunaratne. She then made further breakthroughs by claiming the wickets of the dangerous Chinelle Henry (1), Jannillea Glasgow (50) and Shawnisha Hector (13), unsettling the hosts whenever they looked threatening. Right-arm spinner Dilhari applied the brakes on the Windies by removing the valuable wicket of Deandra Dottin (14) before sweeping away the tailenders Afy Fletcher (12) and Karishma Ramharack (0) in successive deliveries of the final over to finish with figures of 3 for 49.
The opening bowling pair, right-arm pacewoman Malki Madara and right-arm off-spinner Dewmi Vihanga, made the initial breakthroughs by dismissing Windies openers Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews in different fashion when both batters had reached 13. For the hosts, No. 4 batter Stafanie Taylor top-scored with a resilient 66 off 83 deliveries. When she was run out by Madara at 169 as the sixth wicket, the 34-year-old right-hander looked well set for a bigger score after hitting five fours and a six, having earlier shared an 89-run stand for the sixth wicket with Glasgow. Glasgow was the other batter to trouble the Lankan bowlers with a determined 50 off 67 deliveries, including seven fours, before departing as the seventh wicket at 182. When the Windies women were eventually bowled out 11 runs short of victory, Aaliyah Alleyne remained unbeaten on 24 from 29 deliveries with one boundary.
Earlier, Sri Lanka openers Hasini Perera and skipper Chamari Athapaththu made a solid start before being separated at 49. Athapaththu scored 27 off 37 deliveries with three fours, while Perera went on to build an important stand of 86 for the second wicket with the dependable Harshitha Samarawickrama. When Perera was dismissed by pacewoman Alleyne, caught off Hayley Matthews, she had struck six fours in her 61 off 86 deliveries. After a 50-run stand for the third wicket with Nilakshika Silva, Samarawickrama was brilliantly stumped by Shemaine Campbelle off a turning delivery from off-spinner Ramharack. She top-scored with 66 off 105 deliveries, striking five boundaries.
Silva and Dilhari chipped in with identical knocks of 22, while Vishmi Gunaratne, who usually opens the batting, came in at No. 6 to hit an unbeaten 16 off 20 deliveries. Both sides will meet again for the second WODI at the same venue today.
| Brief Scores | |
|