West Indies level series
West Indies Women’s tour of Sri Lanka 2024
West Indies Women’s team showcased an exceptional performance in the second T20I against Sri Lanka, leading them to a well-deserved 6-wicket victory. This victory helped them level the series 1-1, after facing a clean sweep in the ODI series and losing the first T20I. The match, which took place at Hambanthota International Cricket stadium, was affected by rain but that didn’t hinder the West Indies’ dominance.
Sri Lanka, batting first, managed to post a score of 89-4 before rain interrupted the game in the 15th over. In response, the West Indies successfully chased down the revised target of 99 runs in 15 overs with 5 balls to spare.
The hosts had a promising start with a 44-run opening partnership between their captain, Chamari Athapattu, and Vishmi Gunaratne. However, Athapattu’s dismissal by Afy Fletcher’s exceptional delivery turned the tide in favor of the West Indies. Sri Lanka struggled to maintain a good scoring rate and faced difficulties in making clean contact with the ball.
To add to their woes, Sri Lanka lost their second wicket when Imesha Dulani was bowled by Afy Fletcher once again. This put them in a precarious position with a score of 2-52 in 10 overs. Despite their efforts to accelerate the scoring, Sri Lanka faced another setback when Harshitha Samarawickrama was caught at mid-on in the 13th over. Shortly after, Vishmi Gunaratne was caught LBW, further weakening their position.
However, Kavisha Dilhari’s counter-attack in the death overs provided some momentum for Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, rain interrupted play at a score of 89-4 in 15.2 overs, and Sri Lanka’s innings couldn’t be resumed. As a result, the West Indies were given a revised target of 99 runs, which they successfully achieved.
During the pursuit, Taylor and captain Hayley Matthews got the visiting team off to a great start, scoring 44 runs in 6.5 overs. This ensured that West Indies maintained a lead over the DLS-par score. After Matthews was dismissed by a Sachini Nisansala arm ball, Taylor took on the responsibility of leading the chase. In a partnership with Shemaine Campbelle, Taylor played a supporting role by giving strike to her more aggressive partner, who scored 16 runs off 13 balls. Despite the subsequent dismissals of Campbelle, Qiana Joseph, and Chedean Nation, West Indies maintained a positive approach and the required run rate was always manageable. Aaliyah Alleyne then sealed the victory for West Indies with three boundaries off Kavisha Dilhari in the second-to-last over of the innings.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 89-4 (Chamari Athapaththu 26, Vishmi Gunaratne 24, Afy Fletcher 4-23)
West Indies 99-4 (Hayely Matthews 29, Stafanie Taylor 28*, Chamari Athapaththu 1-18, Sachini Nisansala 1-18)
