LUCAS STREET, Barbados, CMC – West Indies Women lost the second One-Day International here yesterday after Sri Lanka women held their nerve to seal a one-wicket win with two balls remaining.
Sent in at the Windward Cricket Club, West Indies tallied 197 for nine off their 50 overs with Shemaine Campbelle top-scoring with 56.
Juliano Nero chipped in with 45, Shanel Daley got 24 and captain Merissa Aguilleira scored 21.
Off-spinner Shashikala Siriwardena was the best bowler with three for 27 while seamers Sripali Weerakkody (2-36) and Chamani Seneviratne (2-38) took two wickets apiece.
In their turn at the crease, Sri Lanka were propelled by Yashodha Mendis’s 51 while Shashikala Siriwardena got 34, but Sri Lanka found themselves struggling late in the innings still adrift of their target.
But Seneviratne showed her all-round worth, punching a breezy, unbeaten 36 from 34 balls to steer Sri Lanka home.
The series is now tied 1-1 with the final match scheduled for tomorrow at the same venue.
West Indies were off to a bad start when debutant Natasha McLean fell cheaply for two with the score on 10 in the third over.
However, opener Nero and Daley put on 57 for the second wicket to stabilise the innings.
Nero struck three fours and a six off 76 balls while Daley faced 55 balls and got a single boundary.
West Indies suffered a middle order slump to lose four wickets for 47 runs but Campbelle and Aguilleira combined in a 61-run partnership to give the innings impetus.
Campbelle counted five fours and a six off 67 balls while Aguilleira faced just 25 balls in her busy knock.
Once Aguilleira departed at 175 for six in the 47th over, the Windies innings fizzled out tamely as the last four wickets fell for 18 runs.
Sri Lanka, too, were off to a bad start when Prasadani Weerakkodi (2) perished in the second over with the score on two.
But Mendis stepped up to stroke six fours and one six in a responsible 93-ball innings and along with several steady partnerships, rescued the Sri Lanka innings.
The right-handed Mendis put on 33 for the second wicket with Inoka Galagedara (10), 39 for the third wicket with Dilani Manodara (14) and another 32 for the fourth wicket with Shashikala Siriwardena (34).
