In the ongoing West Indies tour of Sri Lanka, Hayley Matthews’ led Windies suffered their first ODI series defeat to Chamari Athapaththu led Sri Lanka after 16 years. Sri Lanka took a 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series at Hambantota after Kavisha Dilhari scalped 4 wickets with the ball and scored 28 off 38 balls while Sri Lanka chased 93.
Without Hayley Matthews, the Windies struggled to rotate the strike effectively, with 52 runs from boundaries and just 40 from running between the wickets, getting all out in 31 overs. Sri Lanka’s second win was set up by their spinners, particularly Kavisha Dilhari’s 4 for 20, supported by other Lankan bowlers. Rashada Williams showed resilience with 24 off 62 balls before being dismissed by Sugandika Kumari. Aaliyah Alleyne and Afy Fletcher adopted a hard-hitting approach after the Windies slipped to 54 for 6, putting on a 28-run stand before the Lankan skipper dismissed Alleyne. Chasing a target of 93, Gunaratne’s half-century and Dilhari’s all-round performance helped Sri Lanka win their first ODI series since 2008.
Sri Lanka had also ended their six-match losing streak in ODIs against the West Indies after winning the first match of the series. They had last won an ODI series on home soil in 2008. The Windies duo of Stefanie Taylor and Afy Fletcher, as well as Sri Lankan pacer Udeshika Prabhodhani, were part of the squads in 2008 where Sri Lanka won the five-match series 3-2, led by Shashikala Siriwardene.
In the 2010 Sri Lanka women’s tour of the Windies, the series was drawn 1-1 with Chamari Athapaththu, the current Lankan skipper, part of the side. In 2013, Sri Lanka hosted a five-match T20 and three-match ODI series, where the Windies won the ODI series 2-1. The West Indies continued their domination with a 3-1 victory in the away series and a 3-0 whitewash in the 2017 ODI series in the West Indies.
Things have drastically changed for the Islanders, who have not only secured a series win but have entered the top five in the ICC Championship 2022/23-25 points table for the 2025 ODI World Cup in India. Sri Lanka currently sits fifth on the table, aiming for direct qualification. In contrast, the series defeat has hurt the Windies’ chances, currently sitting eighth with 14 points, needing a win against Sri Lanka to stay in contention.
