Windies suffer 10-run defeat to Sri Lanka despite Taylor, Glasgow fifties 

Sri Lanka 240 for 6 (Samarawickrama 66, Perera 61; Matthews 2-46) beat West Indies 230 all out (Taylor 66, Glasgow 50; Ranaweera 4-44) by 10 runs 

The West Indies suffered a 10-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the first One Day International (ODI) at Grenada’s National Stadium on Friday. The teams exhibited contrasting top-order displays, with the Caribbean side’s slow start proving detrimental.

Despite a new-look opening partnership, it was a familiar struggle with the new ball for the West Indies. The Caribbean side once again failed to find early penetration, with Hasini Perera and captain Chamari Athapaththu sharing in a 49-run stand for the first wicket. The breakthrough came in the 12th over when Hayley Matthews (2/46) had her opposite number, Athapaththu, caught for 27.

Harshitha Samarawickrama joined Perera, and the pair would go on to top-score for the visiting team, putting on 86 for the second wicket before Aaliyah Alleyne accounted for Perera (61), with Sri Lanka 135 for 2 in the 32nd.

Samarawickrama was once again involved in a half-century stand, this time putting on an even fifty with Nilakshika Silva for the third wicket. The West Indies responded with a double strike as Matthews followed up the stumping of Samarawickrama (66) at the end of Karishma Ramharack’s 42nd over by trapping Silva lbw for 22 to begin the 43rd. 

A run-a-ball 38-run partnership between Kavisha Dilhari (22) and Vishmi Gunaratne (16*), along with 13 runs from the final over of the innings, helped Sri Lanka to 240 for 6 from their allotment. 

The West Indies lost openers Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph for identical scores of 13 to be restricted to 28 for 2 inside the first 8 overs of the chase. The hosts managed only 52 runs across the three partnerships that followed, losing Shemaine Campbelle (12), Chinelle Henry (1) and Deandra Dottin (14) cheaply. 

Stafanie Taylor, batting at No. 4, finally found a partner in Jannillea Glasgow, and the pair shared in an 89-run sixth-wicket stand that threatened Sri Lanka’s control of proceedings. Taylor was run out for a top score of 66 via a direct hit from Malki Madara with West Indies 169 for 6 in the 40th. 

When Glasgow (50) fell victim to Inoka Ranaweera (4/44), the West Indies needed 59 runs from 50 balls. A 9-ball 13 from Shawnisha Hector kept the momentum with the hosts before a 32-run (33 balls) partnership between Aaliyah Alleyne and Afy Fletcher left the equation reading 18 from 12 with two wickets remaining.

The order proved too tall for the West Indies, who were bowled out for 230 in 49.4 overs.