Ranaweera claims four as Sri Lanka take early series lead

Half-centuries by Stafanie Taylor and Jannilea Glasgow went in vain as Sri Lanka held their nerves to secure a 10-run win over West Indies in the first One-Day International at the National Cricket Stadium in St Georges, Grenada, on Friday.

In response to Sri Lanka's 240 for 6, West Indies were bundled out for 230, with two balls remaining. Sri Lanka's innings was built on slow half-centuries from Hasini Perera (61 off 86) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (66 off 105). The duo stitched an 86-run stand for the second wicket after Chamari Athapaththu was dismissed by Hayley Matthews on 27 in the 11th over.

Nilakshika Silva and Kavisha Dilhara made handy contributions, while Vishmi Gunaratne and Dewmi Vihanga provided the late flourish in a contest were run-making wasn't easy. Vihanga smoked a six and a boundary in the last over before getting dismissed. Nonetheless, her 6-ball 14 proved vital, and a key difference between the two teams in the end.

Unlike Sri Lanka, West Indies struggled to find that steady partnership. Both the openers departed by the eighth over, and by the 16th, the hosts were reduced to 55 for 4. Glasgow joined Taylor in the middle in the 23rd over, with half of the West Indian batters back in the dugout and only 80 on the board. The duo revived the innings with a cautious approach, stroking their respective half-centuries en route an 89-run stand for the sixth wicket which kept West Indies in the chase.

However, when Taylor was run out in the 40th over, the hosts still required 72 runs to win. The battle was against a stiff required rate, and to complicate matters Glasgow too was sent back soon. West Indian lower order did put up a fight to stretch the game to the final over, and brought the requirements down to only 12 needed off the last over with two wickets in hand. Inoka Ranaweera was the pick of the bowlers, striking four times.

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