- Lanka take low-scoring ODI series 2-1
Captain and opener Hayley Matthews cracked a superb 119-ball 100 as West Indies Women beat Sri Lanka Women by 6-wickets to avoid a first home clean sweep in four years, in the third and final One-Day International at Grenada on Wednesday (25).
Sri Lanka though won the three-match series 2-1 after winning the first two by 10-runs and 14-runs respectively, also at the same venue and it also marked their second successive bilateral ODI series triumph over their hosts, following a 3-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka in 2024.
Set 218 to win in what had turned out to be a low-scoring ODI series on the spin-friendly Grenada decks, the home team rode on Matthews sparking hundred which featured 13 fours and one six, to regain lost pride, where they had suffered their first bilateral ODI series loss at home to the tourists in over two decades.
Matthews adjudged Player-of-the-Match received crucial support through the innings from Stafanie Taylor (38) and from Chinelle Henry unbeaten on 32 and Deandra Dottin not out on 24 respectively, as they for once managed to keep the probing Lankan spin trio of Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera and Kavisha Dilhari at bay.
Earlier Matthews starred with the ball as well claiming 2-33, as the visitors electing to bat first were restricted to 217-7 in 50 overs with Player-of-the-Series Harshitha Samarawickrama top scoring with 70 off 112 deliveries inclusive of seven boundaries.
Apart from Samarawickrama the rest struggled to build any strong partnerships with the exception of Dilhari who added late impetus to the innings with an unbeaten 45 off 58 balls including four boundaries.
The two teams will start a three-match T20 series on Saturday (28) with the remaining two on Sunday (1 March) and on Tuesday (3 March) also at the same venue.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka Women 217/7 wickets in 50 Overs
(Harshitha Samarawickrama 70, Kavisha Dilhari 45 no, Hasini Perera 27, Hayley Matthews 2/33, Karishma Ramharack 2/39)
West Indies Women 218/4 wickets in 46 overs
(Hayley Matthews 100, Stafanie Taylor 38, Chinelle Henry 32 no, Deandra Dottin 24 no, Malki Madara 2/33)