The West Indies women took on the Sri Lanka Women in a dead rubber fixture in the ICC Women’s World Cup yesterday. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka put the West Indies to bat first on a good batting wicket.
The Windies started off decently, with openers Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight getting off to good starts. However, they failed to convert their start into big scores. Chedean Nation and Deandre Dottin also failed to score big and got out due to poor shot selection. Eventually, they managed a respectable total of 229.
It was always going to be an interesting chase with the ball still coming on nicely to the bat. And the Lankans were going about their task without any hassles until Anisa Mohammed picked up two wickets in two balls to change the complexion of the match. The Lankans never really recovered from that and were dismissed for 182.
Here are five talking points from the match:
#5 Lankan bowlers let down by the fielders
The Sri Lankan bowlers went about their job with absolutely no fuss. They bowled tight lines, dried up the runs and forced the Windies batswomen to take risks. Consequently, many chances were created. However, the bowlers were let down by poor fielding.
The Lankan fielders dropped and missed at least half a dozen chances through the innings. Catches were spilled, run-out chances were missed – it was a horror show. Had these chances been taken, the Windies would have been restricted to a lower total and the Lankans could have won the game.
Sri Lankan keeper Prasadani Weerakkody probably had her worst day on the field. First, Chedean Nation survived a close call when the Lankan keeper decided to throw the ball at the stumps instead of just taking off the bails. She then dropped a regulation catch off Nation and missed another stumping chance later in the game.
#4 Merissa Aguilleira helps Windies reach a respectable total
After being put into bat first, the Windies women got off to a decent start. However, none of the top order batswomen could convert their starts and perished due to poor shot selection. Around the halfway mark of the innings, they were very much struggling at 102-4.
A collapse looked imminent and at that moment not many would have said with conviction that they would be able to bat their quota of 50 overs. However, with the fall of the fourth wicket, Merissa Aguilleira came to the crease.
With the assistance of Deandre Dottin, Kyshona Knight and Shanel Daley, Aguilleira helped her team play out the 50 overs and reach a respectable total. The Windies keeper was calm and composed through her innings and played the role of an anchor. She remained unbeaten on 46 off 59 balls, an innings that later proved to be match-wining.
#3 Anisa Mohammed claims two in two balls to change the game
Coming out to chase, the Lankans seemed confident that they will finish the job. After all, they had the dangerous Chamari Atapattu in their ranks. Even after they had lost both their openers cheaply, the Lankans did not look flustered.
Atapattu and Shashikala Siriwardene went about the chase and it looked like the Lankans would cruise to a win. The duo added 61 runs for the third wicket, a partnership that threatened to take away the match from the grasp of the Windies. However, Anisa Mohammed had other ideas.
The off-spinner first got the better of Atapattu. Going for the slog sweep, Atapattu lost her balance and her backfoot slid out of the crease. The keeper made no mistake behind the stumps and cleaned off the bails. Off the very next ball, Manodara was caught plumb in front of the stumps. The two wickets off two balls change the complexion of the match and the Windies never looked back.
#2 Windies spinners strangle Sri Lankans
It would be safe to say that the Sri Lankans were completely strangled with spin. Out of the 48 overs, 46 were bowled by spinners and they did a tremendous job. The openers were removed within the sixth over. When a partnership was looking threatening for the Windies, Anisa Mohammed deceived Chamari Atapattu.
From that position, it was always going to be difficult for the Lankans. The Windies spinners offered no freebies and their score of 229 turned out to be more than enough. Mohammed finished with figures of 10-0-39-3 and was adjudged as the Player of the Match.
Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Hayley Matthews and Shanel Daley all chipped in with wickets. They completely dried up the boundaries and mounted the pressure on the Lankan batters. Eventually, Sri Lanka could only manage 182 runs before they were bundled out.
#1 Sri Lanka yet to register a win in the World Cup
Indeed, this was a dead rubber but the stakes were pretty high. Coming into the match, neither team had registered a single win in the tournament. Only Pakistan shared that record, having lost five of their five matches.
A victory would give the winning team a morale booster and something to take back home after a disappointing World Cup. They would take the positives, the smiles would be back in the dressing room, the fans would have something to cheer about.
In the end, it was the Windies women who came out on top and celebrated a much-yearned victory. The Lankans, who have endured a very disappointing World Cup so far, were left crestfallen. They have two games remaining and would look to register at least one win before going back home.
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