COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – Seasoned campaigners Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin both lashed unbeaten half-centuries as West Indies Women rebounded to beat Sri Lanka Women by 18 runs under Duckworth/Lewis, in the third One-Day International of the four-match series here yesterday.
Opting to bat first at the R Premadasa Stadium, West Indies rallied to 215 for three off their 50 overs, with vice-captain Taylor stroking 86 not out and Dottin, 69 not out.
The pair added an entertaining 151 in an unbroken fourth wicket stand which pulled West Indies Women around from a tentative position of 64 for three in the 22nd over.
In reply, Sri Lanka finished on 170 for eight after they were set a revised target of 189 off 40.2 overs, following a rain interruption.
Twenty-year-old left-hander Nipuni Hansika stroked 50 not out while opener Chamari Jayangani chipped in with 25.
Off-spinners Afy Fletcher (2-25) and Anisa Mohammed (2-30) picked up two wickets apiece to inspire the West Indies attack.
The victory handed West Indies a 2-1 lead in the four-match series, and also gave them their first ICC Championship points of the campaign. West Indies Women won the series opener by five wickets last Wednesday but failed to gather any points, with only the last three games of the series counting for Championship points.
They went down by six wickets in the second game on Saturday.
There was no such ill fortune for the Caribbean side on Monday, however, even though they found themselves in a spot of bother early on.
Kycia Knight, who stroked 34 and Hayley Matthews, who hit 22, put on a sluggish 49 off 96 balls for the first wicket before being separated.
The left-handed Knight faced 69 balls and counted two fours while Matthews, a right-hander, struck two fours off 45 deliveries.
They both fell to Sugandika Kumari who finished with three for 48, and when the left-arm spinner also prised out captain Merissa Aguilleira without scoring, the Windies Women were slumping.
However, Taylor and Dottin came together to rebuild the innings in a partnership which saw their side through the 50 overs.
Taylor faced 112 balls and struck nine fours while Dottin carved out her second unbeaten half-century of the series, hitting five fours and a six off 69 deliveries.
Sri Lanka Women got a decent start of 35 off 36 deliveries, courtesy Jayangani who hit five fours off 59 balls to dominate her stand with Prasadani Weerakkody (7).
Once Weerakkody was run out in the sixth over, Sri Lanka Women lost wickets steadily and the rain interruption at 99 for four in the 25th over, only complicated matters.
Hansika, who counted two fours in 71 balls at the crease, added 41 for the sixth wicket with Dilani Surangika (16), but the stand was not enough to get the hosts over the line.
The final game is set for tomorrow.
