ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC):
An unbeaten half-century from opener Hasini Perera guided Sri Lanka Women to a comfortable nine-wicket victory over the West Indies in the third and final T20 International at the National Stadium in Grenada on Tuesday.
The win sealed a dominant 2-0 series sweep for the visitors, who once again proved proficient with the ball and then resolute with the bat.
Chasing a modest target of 120 for victory, Sri Lanka reached 121-1 with 14 balls to spare, largely thanks to a composed and unbeaten knock of 52 from their wicketkeeper-batter Perera. Her innings, which anchored the chase, earned her the Player-of-the-Match award.
The Sri Lankan reply got off to a flying start as captain Chamari Athapaththu, with a blistering 34 from 25 balls, laid into the West Indies attack, racing to 49 for the first wicket with Perera in just 6.4 overs.
Athapaththu smashed five fours before Chinelle Henry executed a brilliant diving catch at deep square leg off the bowling of Afy Fletcher.
Perera and the incoming Imesha Dulani quickly extinguished any hopes of a West Indies fightback. The duo combined for an unbroken 72-run stand, expertly navigating the required run rate without taking any further risks.
Dulani provided the perfect foil, finishing with a brisk 34 not out from just 25 deliveries with five fours.
Earlier, the West Indies Women struggled once again to build momentum on a pitch that offered some turn. Sent in to bat by Athapaththu, the home side laboured to a below-par 119-5 from their 20 overs.
With as many as four changes to their side, the West Indies were looking for some much-needed impetus with the bat, especially with the inclusion of the hard-hitting debutant, Eboni Brathwaite.
The innings never really got going as Hayley Matthews was the first to go, caught and bowled off spinner Sugandika Kumari for eight.
Shawnisha Hector, batting at number three, lasted as many balls, castled by Inoka Ranaweera for five before Kumari also accounted for the debutant Brathwaite for eight, leaving the hosts reeling at 28-3 in the fifth over.
Veteran Stafanie Taylor, with a brisk 24, and the explosive Deandra Dottin, with 28, attempted to rebuild the innings, adding 48 for the fourth wicket.
However, just as they were looking to accelerate, Dottin was adjudged LBW to Ranaweera, and Taylor was caught off Kavisha Dilhari, leaving the score at 78-5 with three overs to go.
A late unbeaten cameo of 32 from 15 balls from Chinelle Henry, featuring two towering sixes, gave the total some respectability, but it was never likely to trouble a confident Sri Lankan top order.
Ranaweera was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with economical figures of 2-16 from her four overs.
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was adjudged Player of the Series for her all-round contributions, leading her side to a comprehensive series victory on Caribbean soil.
