A 137-run stand between Charith Asalanka and debutant Nishan Madushka provided the base as Sri Lanka comfortably chased down a DLS-adjusted target of 232 in Pallekele, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Asalanka top-scored with a 71-ball 77, while Madushka finished with 69 off 54. Both departed unable to see the chase through, but considering the precarious position at which they had come together - 45 for 3 in the seventh over - they had done more than enough to ensure the win.
Kamindu Mendis was there at the end to see the win through, with an unbeaten 30 off 21, and alongside him was Janith Liyanage on a run-a-ball 18.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors, with figures of 3 for 47, while Alzarri Joseph grabbed two. Despite having reinforced their spin reserves in preparation for a dry Pallekele surface, none were able to offer as much penetration as Motie.
While Motie too went at over six an over he at least posed a wicket-taking threat. This was not something the pair of Roston Chase and Hayden Walsh Jr. could boast, as they gave up 80 runs in the 10 overs between them.
While this was down to a combination of errant bowling and ruthless batting, the West Indian spinners were also impacted by a wet ball as a result of a wet outfield. The rain also meant that the pitch had become easier to bat on by the time Sri Lanka took lease of the wicket.
New Zealand stormed into the final of the Women's T20 World Cup after 14 years, beating the 2016 champions West Indies by eight runs in a low-scoring thriller in Sharjah. New Zealand will meet the 2023 edition's runners-up South Africa as the tournament is set for a first-time champion.
Opting to bat first, Sophie Devine's side huffed and puffed their way to 128 for 9 on a pitch where the ball was not coming onto the bat. Deandra Dottin starred for West Indies, taking 4 for 22. However, West Indies' chase did not take off as expected with Eden Carson and Co keeping them to 25 for 2 in the powerplay.
Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor toiled hard but could manage only a combined 28 off 41 balls. That left West Indies 51 for 4 and needing 78 from 55. Dottin once again kept West Indies in the game. Her fireworks - a 22-ball 33 where she hit Lea Tahuhu for three sixes in an over - brought the equation down to 34 from 24. But Amelia Kerr, the highest wicket-taker at this World Cup, ended Dottin's innings in the 17th over when she top-edged a sweep to short fine leg.
New Zealand were not flawless, having dropped five catches in the field, but their bowlers found a way to stop West Indies to 120 for 8.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has declared a "moral victory" for his side in the aftermath of the 2-1 T20I series defeat to Sri Lanka, and questioned the wisdom of the home side pivoting to turning tracks for the final two games, both must-wins for Sri Lanka.
In a fairly scathing assessment, Sammy argued that while the next T20 World Cup - in 2026 - was going to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka, such turning tracks would not be the norm with the ICC having primary input over the curation of the wickets.
"For us, to see the last two games, and the nature of the wicket from what it was at the start, I thought we actually won the contest," Sammy said following the third T20I which Sri Lanka won by nine wickets. "Because we were the away team and in conditions set before us, we challenged them with a squad that was not our full squad, and they had to react to that.
While Sri Lanka may no doubt contest Sammy's views, it wasn't long ago that many within Sri Lanka's camp were themselves clamouring for more batter-friendly pitches. The calls had followed Sri Lanka's dismal display in the 2023 World Cup in India, where their batters struggled to match the attacking approach of the top sides. This plan seemed to have taken root, to a fair amount of success, in the early part of the year where high scores were seen more frequently - particularly during the series against Afghanistan, where Sri Lanka narrowly failed to chase down a target of 210.
"So I told the guys, 'yes, when the World Cup comes we won't get these conditions - the ICC will make sure the pitches are good'. So it was a moral victory for us from the first game to the second game."
Cricket West Indies (CWI) is pleased to announce new media rights agreements for Pakistan, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South-East Asia (SEA) markets. These agreements ensure that fans across these regions will continue to enjoy exclusive broadcast and digital access to West Indies international and regional cricket.
CWI has partnered with Tapmad for the Pakistan market and Cricbuzz (owned by Times Internet) for the MENA and SEA markets. These agreements cover live coverage for all upcoming West Indies home internationals and regional tournaments, including the Pakistan tours in 2025 (T20Is and ODIs) and 2026 (Test matches). Tapmad will provide digital coverage for Pakistan.
In the MENA region, CWI has secured a deal with Cricbuzz to air West Indies cricket matches on its CricbuzzTV channels. This partnership brings the excitement of West Indies cricket to millions of fans in the region, expanding CWI’s presence in one of the world’s most dynamic cricket markets. Cricbuzz will also broadcast coverage across South-East Asia, ensuring fans in these countries have access to live coverage of both international and regional West Indies cricket events.
Sri Lanka's spinners ripped through the West Indies batters on a turning Dambulla surface to level the series at one apiece, as they won the second ODI by 73 runs.
Debutant Dunith Wellalage - belatedly making his T20I bow - was the pick of the bowlers, ending with figures of 3 for 9, while Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka grabbed two each. Matheesha Pathirana was the sole seamer to pick up a wicket in the innings.
With the bat, Pathum Nissanka's 54 off 49 had helped set the platform as Sri Lanka did well to keep a steady run rate throughout their innings, having won the toss and elected to bat first. There were also runs for Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Kamindu Mendis, but this game was all about Sri Lanka's spinners who showed total dominance in the West Indian chase.
Hasaranga, Sri Lanka's premier spinner, bowled his first delivery of the game in the 11th over of the chase. And the fact that he picked up a wicket with that delivery was perhaps the least remarkable aspect about it.
