- SL Women take 1-0 lead in series
Left-handed opener Hasini Perera (61), one-drop batswoman Harshitha Samarawickrama (66), and Player of the Match left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera (4-44) all produced stellar displays as Sri Lanka posted a narrow 10-run win over the West Indies Women in their thrilling first ODI at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada on Friday (20).
The hosts, chasing a target of 240-6 in 50 overs, rode on a top score of 66 by Stafanie Taylor and a 50 by Jannillea Glasgow, but failed to counter the wiles of Lankan spin duo Ranaweera and Kavisha Dilhari, who between them shared 7 wickets for 93 to derail the home team.
Right-arm off-spinner Dilhari claimed 3-49 as the Maroon Warriors were dismissed for 230 with two balls to spare, handing the visitors a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Earlier, the visitors, after being inserted, made a challenging total thanks to the contributions of left-handers Perera (86-ball 61) and Samarawickrama (105-ball 66), who both added 85 runs for the second wicket, following an opening stand of 49 between Perera and Captain Chamari Athapaththu (27).
Handy knocks of 22 each by Nilakshika Silva and Dilhari through the middle-order enabled the Lankans to set a competitive target for the home team, which eventually proved beyond their reach.
Brief scores
- SL Women 240-6 wickets in 50 overs: Hasini Perera 61, Harshitha Samarawickrama 66, Chamari Athapaththu 27, Nilakshika Silva 22, Kavisha Dilhari 22, Hayley Mathews 2/46, Karishma Ramharack 2/57
- West Indies Women 230 all out in 49.4 overs: Stafanie Taylor 66, Jannillea Glasgow 50, Aaliyah Alleyne 24 no, Inoka Ranaweera 4/44, Kavisha Dilhari 3/49