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 (4/46) 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 from their allotment.