Sri Lanka slumped to a 71-run loss in their 1st T20I against the West Indies at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua.
After being asked to bat first by Inoka Ranaweera, the Windies openers got the team off to a flyer as they put on 67 runs for the 1st wicket in just over 10 overs. The hosts would have liked to kick on from there and post something close to 150/160 but wickets at regular intervals kept their scoring rate in check. All-rounder Britney Cooper added the finishing touches to the innings with a 11-ball 20 as the Windies set Sri Lanka a target of 141.
Skipper Ranaweera was once again amongst the wickets but she also went for plenty of runs, finishing with figures of 2/35 in her 4 overs.
Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a disastrous start as openers Yashoda Mendis and Chamari Atapattu were both dismissed within 3 overs. The visitors were never in the chase and it became a case of surviving the allotted overs once again. Ama Kanchana and wicketkeeper Rebeca Vandort were the only batters to get to double figures as the Windies registered a comfortable win, restricting Sri Lanka to 69/7.
Apart from Afy Fletcher, every other bowler used by Windies Skipper Stafanie Taylor were among the wickets.
The 2nd T20I is scheduled to be played on the 21st of October.
