West Indies lost their opening One-Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka in Colombo last week by a narrow one-wicket in a tense three-match.
Sent in to bat at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, West Indies scored 289 for seven from their 50 0vers supported by Shai Hope’s ninth ODI century, scoring 115 from 140 balls- his third century in the last eight innings and fifth in the last 10 months.
Roston Chase (41) and Darren Bravo both got starts but failed to carry on while all-rounder Kemo Paul lashed a 17-ball unbeaten 32 batting at number eight to give the Windies a strong finish.
Captain Dimuth Karunaratne then top scored with 52 off 57 deliveries in a century opening stand with Avishka Fernando (50) while Kisal Perera struck 42 off 50 balls.
However, it was Man-of-the-Match Wanindu Hasaranga with an unbeaten 42 0ff 39 balls which turned the game in Sri Lanka’s favor, in a 38-run, seventh-wicket stand off 30 balls with Thisara Perera, who struck a cameo 32 from 22 balls to give his side victory with five balls to spare in the final over.
For the West Indies, the defeat left them trailing in the three-match series, needing to win the remaining match series in order to clinch their first-ever ODI series win on Sri Lanka soil.
