The national women’s teams of Sri Lanka and West Indies are slated to go head-to-head in 6 white-ball games, starting with the 1st of 3 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on the 15th of June, 2024. The series opener gets underway at 10:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota.
Squads:
Sri Lanka – Chamari Athapaththu (C), Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Nilakshi De Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Hansima Karunaratne, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoshi Fernando, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Anushka Sanjeewani, Kawya Kavindi, Sachini Nisansala
West Indies – Hayley Matthews (C), Shemaine Campbelle (VC), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams, Kate Wilmott
Players to watch out:
Kavisha Dilhari
The 23-year-old all-rounder in ODIs, from 18 innings, has accumulated 375 runs at an average of 26.78 and from 19 bowling outings, she has scalped 15 wickets at an economy rate of 4.91, with best figures being 3/42. Recording scores of 42 and 0 in her recent ODI outings, Kavisha didn’t find much success with the bat, while she returned bowling figures of 2/47, 0/47, and 2/47. She will be backed to step up her all-round efforts.
Oshadi Ranasinghe
The 38-year-old off-spinner has picked up 38 wickets from as many bowling outings at an economy rate of 5.30, with the best figures of 5/34, while with the bat, she has added 367 runs from 32 innings. Oshadi, in her recent ODI series in April, added 20 runs to the total in her only batting outing, and her bowling figures read 2/42, 1/45, and 0/43. The team will count on her to build on her recent performances.
Hayley Matthews
The 26-year-old all-rounder, averaging 31.11, has racked up 2396 runs from 80 ODI outings and from 77 bowling innings has struck 100 wickets at an economy rate of 4.01, with best figures of 141 and 4/15. Hayley struck 6 wickets from 3 ODIs in her recent series in April, while notching up consecutive scores of 140*, 44, and 141. She has been in outrageous form of late, and it is hoped she carries it into this series.
Karishma Ramharack
The 29-year-old off-spinner, from 21 bowling innings, has secured 18 wickets, including the best of 3/22, maintaining an economy rate of 4.32. She can also be handy with the bat on a few occasions. Karishma, in her recent series against Pakistan in April, followed up her wicketless start with figures of 3/48 and 1/30 in subsequent games. With the wicket expected to favor spinners, she can be relied upon for breakthroughs.
Pitch:
The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium is a low-scoring venue that typically favors bowlers, especially spinners. The pitch has a somewhat neutral character, but the average score at this venue remains in the 230s, making it a challenging ground for batters.
Weather:
With moderate winds, humidity at 69%, and the temperature forecasted to hover around 33°C, the conditions promise a complete game of cricket in Hambantota. The overhead is expected to be partly cloudy; however, the chances of rain are minimal.
Fantasy playing XI:
Shemaine Campbelle, Stafanie Taylor, Nilakshi De Silva, Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu, Hayley Matthews, Kavisha Dilhari, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Qiana Joseph, Karishma Ramharack, Inoka Ranaweera
Match details:
Date – June 15, 2024
Time – 10:00 AM IST
Venue – Mahinda Rajapaksha International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube channel.