Seasoned Sri Lankan Spinners Orchestrate Thrilling Victory over West Indies in Series Opener
In the opening encounter of the women’s T20I series, Sri Lanka made a resounding start, defeating West Indies by four wickets with eight balls to spare. The spin duo of Inoka Priyadharshani and Kavisha Athapaththu were the architects of the hosts’ triumph, sharing seven wickets between them to restrict the visitors to 134 for 8.
Opting to bat first, West Indies were dealt an early blow as Stafanie Taylor suffered an injury scare while running between the wickets. However, she returned to the crease after the fall of the first wicket. Hayley Matthews provided a steady start, scoring a run-a-ball 30, but the Sri Lankan spinners maintained a tight grip throughout, with Priyadharshani and Athapaththu bagging 3 for 28 and 4 for 29 respectively.
Despite the early loss of Athapaththu, Sri Lanka’s innings gained momentum thanks to a 46-run second-wicket partnership between Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama. Gunaratne’s aggressive 35 off 26 balls, which included six boundaries and a reverse sweep, set the tone for the chase. Though Sri Lanka lost a few quick wickets, the experienced Nilakshika Silva steered the team home with an unbeaten 17, securing the hosts’ 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
“The beach cricket, club cricket, fantasy club cricket, and blind cricket enthusiasts will be eager to see how the teams respond in the remaining fixtures of this enthralling series.”
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