West Indies Women experienced their first loss to Sri Lanka Women in seven encounters, succumbing to a six-wicket defeat in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
After being sent in to bat, the Caribbean side struggled to 195 all out in 48 overs, a total that proved insufficient to challenge the hosts. Sri Lanka Women chased down the target at the start of the 35th over, powered by a top score of 44 not out from Harshitha Samarawickrama.
Samarawickrama controlled the chase expertly, adding 73 for the fourth wicket with Hasini Perera (43) and a further 24 in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Nilakshika Silva (eight not out). Vishmi Gunaratne and captain Chamari Athapaththu also made significant contributions, scoring 40 and 38 respectively, with an opening stand of 88 runs.
West Indies bowlers Aaliyah Alleyne (2-22) and Afy Fletcher (2-31) picked up two wickets each but could not prevent Sri Lanka from securing the win.
Poised for a competitive total
West Indies Women were poised for a competitive total at 75 for one but suffered a middle-order collapse. Senior players Hayley Matthews (38), Stafanie Taylor (33), and Shemaine Campbelle (27) all got starts but failed to convert them into substantial scores.
“[It was] not our best game but, at the same time, I think there are still positives we can take from it,” said captain Matthews. “I think the fact some of our top order were able to get starts shows a decent sign, and I think we were definitely set to put on a really big score early on and unfortunately lost wickets in clumps, which I think hampered us.”
Rashada Williams (six) was the first wicket to fall in the third over with only seven runs on the board. Matthews and Campbelle then posted a 68-run partnership for the second wicket, reviving their side’s fortunes. Matthews struck six fours in her 53-ball knock while Campbelle counted four fours in her 51-ball stay at the crease.
Both fell in the 19th over to left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari (3-30), sparking a collapse that saw West Indies lose wickets at regular intervals. Taylor, who faced 56 balls and hit three fours, added 33 runs for the fourth wicket with Chedean Nation (six) and another 22 runs for the sixth wicket with Alleyne (14).
Not enough
Lower-order contributions from Karishma Ramharack (14) and Shamilia Connell (nine) helped West Indies reach 195, but it was not enough to put significant pressure on the hosts.
Sri Lanka’s chase was assertive from the start. Gunaratne and Athapaththu laid a solid foundation with their 88-run opening stand. However, a mini-collapse saw Sri Lanka lose three wickets for 13 runs in the space of 20 balls, leaving them at 101 for three. Alleyne and Fletcher’s strikes gave West Indies a glimmer of hope, but Perera and Samarawickrama’s partnership ensured there were no further hiccups.
Perera lashed seven fours in her 59-ball knock, while Samarawickrama finished unbeaten with five boundaries, guiding Sri Lanka to a comfortable victory and ending West Indies Women’s hopes of a win in the opening match.
