In a spectacular display of individual prowess, the West Indies Women’s cricket team secured a commanding six-wicket triumph against Sri Lanka Women in the third One Day International at National Stadium on Wednesday. Despite the emphatic victory, the hosts conceded the three-match series 2-1 to the visiting Sri Lankan side.
The match will be remembered as Hayley Matthews’ masterclass, with the West Indies captain delivering a Player-of-the-Match performance through her magnificent century that anchored a successful chase of 218 runs. Matthews’ leadership ensured her team concluded the series with significant momentum despite the overall series defeat.
Sri Lanka’s decision to bat first immediately backfired as Matthews demonstrated her all-round capabilities, claiming the crucial wicket of Chamari Athapaththu for a duck in her opening over. The visitors struggled against disciplined West Indian bowling throughout their innings, though Harshitha Samarawickrama provided stability with a composed 70-run contribution. Supported by Hasini Perera (27) and Vishmi Gunaratne (26), Samarawickrama helped rebuild the innings before Kavisha Dilhari’s explosive unbeaten 45 propelled Sri Lanka to a competitive 217/7 from their allotted 50 overs.
The West Indies response began disastrously, crumbling to 12/2 within four overs as Qiana Joseph and Shemaine Campbelle fell cheaply. This early collapse set the stage for a remarkable recovery orchestrated by Matthews and veteran Stafanie Taylor. Their monumental 124-run partnership for the third wicket transformed the game’s dynamics, combining tactical patience with aggressive strokeplay.
During this critical stand, Taylor achieved a historic personal milestone, becoming only the second cricketer in women’s ODI history to surpass 6,000 runs. Her steady presence allowed Matthews to accelerate freely, culminating in the captain’s tenth ODI century—a powerful statement of her dominance in the format.
Following Taylor’s departure for 38, Chinelle Henry (32*) and Deandra Dottin (24*) efficiently completed the chase with an unbroken 49-run partnership, reaching the target with four overs remaining.
The post-match ceremony highlighted the series outcome, with Sri Lanka’s Harshitha Samarawickrama earning Player-of-the-Series honors for her consistent batting performances. For West Indies, the victory provides crucial momentum as they transition to the T20 format, demonstrating their considerable potential despite the series loss.