Sri Lanka Women produced a clinical all-round performance to seal a comfortable victory over West Indies Women in the 3rd WT20I of the Sri Lanka Women tour of West Indies 2026 at St George’s, successfully chasing the target with composure and dominance. A disciplined bowling effort followed by a calm, calculated run chase ensured Sri Lanka Women wrapped up the contest by 9 wickets with 14 balls to spare, highlighting their growing confidence in Women’s T20I cricket.
West Indies Women began their innings hoping for a strong platform from their experienced openers Hayley Matthews and Eboni Brathwaite, but Sri Lanka struck early to disrupt their momentum. The first breakthrough came when Matthews was caught by Kavisha Dilhari off Sugandika Kumari for 8 off 9 balls, leaving the hosts at 13/1 in 2.3 overs. The early pressure intensified when Brathwaite also departed for 8 off 9 balls, caught by Nilakshika Silva again off Kumari, as West Indies slipped to 22/2 in 3.2 overs.
The early double blow forced Shawnisha Hector and Stafanie Taylor to rebuild cautiously. Hector tried to inject momentum with a brisk 5 off 3 balls, but her stay was short-lived as Inoka Ranaweera cleaned her up, reducing West Indies to 28/3 in 4.1 overs. With the innings wobbling, the experienced pair of Taylor and Deandra Dottin attempted to stabilize the innings through a steady partnership. The duo rotated strike and absorbed pressure, gradually guiding the innings past the halfway stage.
Taylor anchored the innings with patience, scoring 24 off 39 balls, while Dottin counterattacked with 28 off 39 balls, including three boundaries. Their partnership added valuable runs before Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling attack struck again. Dottin fell LBW to Ranaweera in the 15.6 over, making it 76/4, while Taylor followed soon after, caught by Nilakshika Silva off Kavisha Dilhari for 24, leaving the hosts at 78/5 in 16.4 overs.
The late momentum came from Chinelle Henry, who played an aggressive cameo of 32* off just 15 balls, smashing 3 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate above 200. Alongside Jahzara Claxton (8 off 6), Henry stitched together a quick unbeaten 41-run stand to push West Indies Women to 119/5 in 20 overs, a competitive but slightly under-par total. Among the Sri Lankan bowlers, Sugandika Kumari (2/32) and Inoka Ranaweera (2/16) were the standout performers, while Kavisha Dilhari (1/13) chipped in with a tidy spell. Malki Madara, Chamari Athapaththu, Nilakshika Silva, and Kavya Kavindi maintained control and ensured the run rate never spiralled.
Chasing 120, Sri Lanka Women began confidently through Hasini Perera and skipper Chamari Athapaththu. The pair played positively from the outset, stitching together a fluent 49-run opening partnership. Athapaththu looked particularly aggressive, striking 5 boundaries in her 32 off 22 balls, before she was caught by Chinelle Henry off Afy Fletcher in 7 overs, the only breakthrough for West Indies.
After the captain’s departure, Imesha Dulani joined Perera and ensured there were no further hiccups. The duo constructed a composed unbeaten 72-run partnership, carefully rotating strike while punishing loose deliveries. Perera anchored the chase beautifully with 52* off 59 balls, hitting 4 fours and a six, while Dulani provided the finishing acceleration with 34* off 25 balls, including five boundaries.
Despite attempts from West Indies bowlers such as Afy Fletcher (1/14), Karishma Ramharack (0/32), Hayley Matthews (0/25) and Deandra Dottin (0/14), Sri Lanka’s batters remained in control throughout the chase. Their disciplined approach saw them reach 121/1 in 17.4 overs, sealing a convincing nine-wicket win, also their first-ever series win over West Indies.
With her composed half-century guiding the chase, Hasini Perera was named Player of the Match, while captain Chamari Athapaththu earned the Player of the Series honour for her consistent all-round contributions across the series.
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