A dominant win for Sri Lanka over West Indies as they finish the Super Six stage unbeaten!
Sri Lanka secured a dominant eight-wicket win over West Indies in Harare, thanks to Pathum Nissanka’s second consecutive century and Maheesh Theekshana’s exceptional bowling performance. This victory sets up a comfortable warm-up for Sri Lanka ahead of Sunday’s final against the Netherlands.
Chasing a target of 244, Sri Lanka cruised to victory with ease, establishing a tournament-best opening partnership of 190 runs between Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne. Although both batsmen were given chances due to West Indies’ poor fielding, they made significant contributions – Nissanka scored 104, and Karunaratne added 83 to the total. Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama completed the task with 34 balls to spare.
In contrast, West Indies struggled in the match, with Keacy Carty being the standout performer. His patient 87 off 96 balls helped West Indies post a respectable total after a shaky start. The West Indies’ innings was marked by the strong performance of Theekshana, who turned the game in Sri Lanka’s favor with his five-wicket haul.
At the beginning of the match, Johnson Charles and Brandon King provided a solid start for West Indies. However, the introduction of Theekshana proved crucial as he dismissed several key West Indian batsmen. Charles, King, Shamarh Brooks, and Shai Hope all fell victim to Theekshana’s bowling.
Despite losing wickets, Charles continued to anchor the innings. He was joined by Nicholas Pooran, who was dismissed by Dushan Hemantha, playing in place of the rested Wanindu Hasaranga. Carty then built partnerships with Kyle Mayers and Romario Shepherd, guiding West Indies to a respectable total.
Throughout the match, West Indies’ fielding was subpar, with several dropped catches and missed opportunities. Captain Shai Hope himself dropped a crucial catch, highlighting West Indies’ struggles in the field.
In the end, this match showcased the differing trajectories of these two teams and the Associates. Sri Lanka’s convincing win serves as preparation for the upcoming final against the Netherlands, where they are expected to face a tougher challenge.
Brief Score: Sri Lanka 244 for 2 (Nissanka 104, Karunaratne 83) beat West Indies 243 all out (Carty 87, Theekshana 4-34) by eight wickets.
Man of the Match: Maheesh Theekshana