Matthews, Campbelle lead the way for WI Women

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka (CMC):

Captain Hayley Matthews and her deputy, Shemaine Campbelle, starred with the bat as West Indies salvaged some pride from the tour of Sri Lanka by beating the hosts by six wickets in the final Twenty20 International here yesterday.

Asked to chase 142 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in order to draw the three-match series, the Caribbean side got 49 from Matthews and an unbeaten 41 from Campbelle, to get over the line with a ball to spare.

They required six runs from the last over and Campbelle and Chinelle Henry (four not out) combined to scamper five runs from the first three deliveries to level the scores, before Henry pinched a single off the fifth to win it.

Campbelle produced a fluent knock, striking three fours and two sixes in rapid 30-ball knock to earn Player-of-the-Match honours.

Earlier, Sri Lanka Women posted 141 for seven from their 20 overs after being sent in, captain Chamari Athapaththu top-scoring with 38, Harshitha Samarawickrama chipping in with 28 and Kavisha Dilhari getting 26.

The home side recovered well from the loss of opener Vishmi Gunaratne (2) to the second ball of the contest, Athapaththu and Samarawickrama steadying the innings in a 55-run, second wicket stand.

Athapaththu struck three fours and as many sixes in a run-a-ball knock while Samarawickrama faced 26 deliveries and counted four fours.

Once left-spinner Afy Fletcher (2-25) removed Samarawickrama to a return catch in the 10th over, Athapaththu added a further 34 for the third wicket with Dilhari who belted four boundaries in a 26-ball stay at the crease.

Both perished in a period that saw three wickets tumble for 11 runs but Ama Kanchana (19 not out) inspired a 31-run, sixth-wicket stand with Nilakshika Silva (12) to rally the innings late on.

The new experiment of starting the innings with Matthews and her predecessor Stafanie Taylor paid dividends, the pair posting 60 for the first wicket.

While Player of the Series Matthews struck five fours in a 40-ball knock, Taylor faced 30 balls and lashed four fours and a six.

Taylor was eventually leg before wicket to spinner Dilhari at the end of the eighth over, but Matthews put on a further 51 for the second wicket with Campbelle to keep Sri Lanka Women on the backfoot.