West Indies 99 for 5 (Taylor 27*, Matthews 17; Dilhari 2-22) beat Sri Lanka 98 all out (Nilakshika 30, Dilhari 21; Matthews 3-15) by 5 wickets
The West Indies remain perfect at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup after holding on to beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets and claim a third consecutive win in Bristol earlier today.
Following a near-perfect bowling display led by captain Hayley Matthews, the Caribbean side survived a scare to chase a low total, earning a victory that puts them tied on six points with Group 2 leaders England.
Their chase of 99 began shakily with Deandra Dottin having to pull out a dive to make her ground at the striker’s end on the fifth delivery of the first over.
The nervous start was amplified by a few crucial stops in the field from Sri Lanka, which culminated when Matthews was run out for a run-a-ball 17 via direct hit from the arm of Nilakshika Silva.
Sri Lanka claimed a second when Dottin’s struggle of an innings (16 from 14 balls) was ended on the final delivery of the powerplay with Windies 36 for two. It could have been worse two balls later had wicketkeeper Kaushini Nuthyangana not dropped Shemaine Campbelle on nought.
Campbelle was eventually removed by Chamari Athapaththu for a laboured 4 (12 balls), bringing Jahzara Claxton to the crease. The left-hander’s innings followed a similar pattern to that of Campbelle, as she was also dropped before getting off the mark. Like Campbelle, Claxton did not make use of the reprieve and was dismissed for a 12-ball 6, with West Indies 69 for four at the start of the 12th.
It was the wicket of Henry two balls later, however, that truly put the West Indies on the ropes. The power-hitter played on Kavisha Dilhari to set Windies back at 70 for five.
Still, the experience of Stafanie Taylor at the other end kept the scoreboard ticking over with minimal risks. And though Jannillea Glasgow found the going tough in her 15-ball 10, she survived long enough to put on a victory-securing 29-run (29 balls) partnership with Taylor.
Their efforts were aided by 23 extras from the Sri Lankans, which saw them over the line at 99 for five in 16.1 overs.
The West Indies had earlier run rampant to dismiss Sri Lanka for 98. Skipper Hayley Matthews set the tone for her team, beginning her three-wicket spell by removing opener Vishmi Gunaratne (1) with a stunning one-handed grab off her bowling in the first over of the contest.
Matthews (3/15) then accounted for the big wicket of Chamari Athapaththu, bowling her opposite number for two in the third, before having Harshitha Samarawickrama caught for a duck three balls later, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at nine for three.
Things got sweeter for the Caribbean side, who picked up a fourth in the powerplay, when Imesha Dulani (17) was caught off Chinelle Henry trying to clear mid-on to leave Sri Lanka 24 for four.
Kavisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva (30) then set about the repair, sharing in the highest partnership of the innings, putting on 34 from 26 for the fifth wicket. The stand was broken by Aaliyah Alleyne, who gobbled up the return catch opportunity presented by Kavisha Dilhari (21) with the score 57 for five at the end of the tenth.
The West Indian spinners, backed up by brilliance in the outfield and the guile of wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle, were clinical in the second half of the innings.
Campbelle was at the heart of Karishma Ramharack’s two wickets (2/15), effecting the stumpings that removed Sugandika Kumari (2) and Kawya Kavindi (17) as the West Indies claimed the remaining five wickets for 41 runs, wrapping up the Sri Lankan innings at 98 all out in 19.4 overs.