Pallekele: Sri Lanka and West Indies are playing a 3-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won the first match of the series and took an early lead. The second ODI match between Sri Lanka and West Indies was held on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) in Kandy’s iconic Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The match was reduced to 44 overs by both sides due to heavy rain. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies.
Alick Athanaze and Brendan King gave a joint start for the Windies. But Alick Athanaze was bowled out early by Maheesh Theekshana for 1 run. Asitha Fernando then caught and bowled Brandon King for 16 runs, before dismissing Wicketkeeper Shai Hope (5) with a slightly back-of-length delivery that the batter dragged onto his stumps.
Keacy Carty was removed by Mahesh Theekshana for 6 runs and was a disappointment to the team. So, the West Indies stumbled at the beginning for 31-4. In the 14th over, Wanindu Hasaranga also made an impact, dismissing Roston Chase with a sharp googly for 8 runs and Romario Shepherd with a leg break for 4 runs.
In the very next over, Theekshana bowled out Hayden Walsh for just 1 run with a flatter, quicker delivery. After that, Hasaranga dismissed Alzarri Joseph for 1 run who failed to keep a quicker delivery out. At last, Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Moti initiated a stunning counterattack. Rutherford, who played aggressively in the middle order, scored 80 runs off 82 deliveries which included 7 fours and 4 sixes was dismissed by Fernando.
Hasaranga eventually wrapped up the Windies’ innings, getting rid of Jayden Seales with a googly for 5 runs. On the other side, Moti, who played alongside him, reached his ODI fifty off 61 balls. Finally, West Indies were bowled out for 189 with eight overs left in their innings. Hasaranga starred with a four-wicket haul, while Deekshana and Fernando took 3 wickets.
Chasing 190 runs, Nishan Madushka and Avishka Fernando failed to give the hosts a good start. The Lankans lost Fernando (9) to Joseph early and Wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis (3) followed him back to the pavilion soon after, cleaned up by Motie
But a 62-run partnership between Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama helped steady the run-chase which was always on the cards. However, Madushka was bowled out by a slow off-cutter from Joseph for 38 runs. Samarawickrama miscued a paddle shot against Roston Chase for 38 off 50 which included 6 fours.
Janith Livanage, who came next, walked back for 24, but captain Asalanka played calmly and aggressively in the middle order and scored an unbeaten 62. Kamindu Mendis chipped in with an unbeaten 11, helping Sri Lanka to reach 190-5 in 38.2 overs. The Lankans also created a record by winning a bilateral series for the first time against the West Indies in ODI cricket.
