Another inept batting effort from West Indies Women condemned them to a heavy 160-run defeat and an embarrassing whitewash in their three-match One-Day International series against hosts Sri Lanka Women on Friday.
After Sri Lanka Women racked up 275 for six from their 50 overs behind half centuries from Chamari Athapaththu (91), Nilakshika Silva (63) and Anushka Sanjeewani (55), West Indies Women collapsed timidly for 115 in the 25th over to lose their third straight game by a wide margin.
They lost the opening ODI by six wickets after posting only 195 and succumbed in the second by five wickets after mustering a paltry 92.
Opener Chedean Nation top-scored with 46 from 67 balls while all-rounder Aaliyah Alleyne chipped in with a run-a-ball 27 at number six, but no other batsman managed to pass 20, as 22-year-old left-arm spinner Sachini Nisansala ripped apart the innings to finish with five for 28 and take the Player-of-the-Match honours.
“Obviously Sri Lanka playing at home, you know there’s a home advantage when you get to play in our country,” said stand-in captain Shemaine Campbelle. “I think they played some good cricket and a few supporters were there for them as well, so all in all, I think they played [a] good brand of cricket and you must give credit to them.”
Athapaththu was stellar at the top of the order after Sri Lanka were sent in, lashing ten fours and a brace of sixes off 106 balls, and posting 93 for the first wicket with Vishmi Gunaratne whose 44 came from 60 balls and included half-dozen fours.
West Indies Women enjoyed their best period when off-spinner Karishma Ramharack (2-46) struck twice in quick succession as the home side lost three wickets for six runs in the space of 18 balls.
Stumbling on 99 for three in the 23rd, Sri Lanka Women rebounded through a 57-run fourth wicket partnership between Athapaththu and Silva, the latter of whom then combined with wicketkeeper Sanjeewani in a 117-run, fifth wicket stand to deflate West Indies Women.
Silva struck eight fours in a breezy 78 balls innings while the 34-year-old Sanjeewani blasted half-dozen fours and a six in a terrific 46-ball cameo.
West Indies Women then made a calamitous start to their chase when Rashada Williams was caught at the wicket off veteran left-arm pacer Udeshika Prabodhani for one at the start of the fifth over, and Campbelle was lbw to 21-year-old pacer Kawya Kavindi without scoring in the next over.
Slumping at five for two, West Indies Women were pulled around by Nation who struck seven fours to inspire a 57-run, third wicket stand with former captain Stafanie Taylor (16).
However, once Taylor departed at the start of the 20th – caught behind cutting at off off-spinner Oshadi Ranasinghe (2-14) – the innings fell apart as the last eight wickets went down for only 53 runs.
Nation was eventually fourth out in the 23rd over, bowled driving down the wrong line at off-spinner Athapaththu.
(CMC)
