DAMBULLA – West Indies Women performed brilliantly in the field to secure a series win after clinching a 33-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third One Day International yesterday.
The in-form Shemaine Campbelle hit a top score of 37 to lead the effort after a series of batting collapses jeopardized the Windies run rate.
Excellent bowling by Tremayne Smartt, who had figures of two for 26 from her ten overs, and four run-outs dealt a major blow to Sri Lanka’s chase.
West Indies stumbled to 191 for nine in their 50 overs but successfully defended their modest total as Sri Lanka could only muster 158 for nine wickets in their 50 overs.
West Indies coach Sherwin Campbell lauded his players for their fighting spirit during the series and for achieving their first overseas win against a side ranked in the top eight.
“This was a fantastic total team performance by the girls and everyone deserves huge congratulations for what they did here today.
“We didn’t get a major contribution with the bat, but everyone chipped in and got us up to a very competitive total on this pitch,” he said.
“Then when we fielded it was absolutely brilliant. Players were diving around to save every run and you could see the commitment and desire to win. This is the kind of effort we have become accustomed to seeing and this kind of performance is another great learning experience for this young team,” the coach added.
“We are among the top ranked teams in the world now and we are playing like a top team.” (CMC/HG)
