West Indies spinners set up win in low-scoring match
West Indies 138 for 4 (Aguilleira 32*, Ranaweera 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 136 (Mendis 34, Matthews 3-18, Taylor 3-24, Fletcher 3-42) by six wickets
The spin combination of Hayley Matthews, Afy Fletcher and Stafanie Taylor worked through Sri Lanka's batting order to set up a six-wicket victory for West Indies in the first match between the two - which counts for points in the ICC Women's Championship - in Tarouba. Sri Lanka's batting floundered against the three, who picked three apiece, as they collapsed from 63 for 1 to 136 all out.
Sri Lanka lost their first wicket in the 12th over after opener Nipuni Hansika was struck on the pads by legspinner Fletcher. Yasoda Mendis and Chamari Atapattu set up a 41-run second-wicket partnership, with the latter becoming the first Sri Lanka batswoman to score 2000 runs in ODI. Matthews' charge, however, removed both the batsmen before they could build on their starts. She also dismissed the No. 5 Prasadani Weerakkody for 8.
Taylor and Fletcher scythed through the rest of the order as Sri Lanka fell away quickly.
West Indies were off to a shaky start as they lost Kycia Knight and Taylor inside the first five overs. With 49 for 2 on the scoreboard, Matthews retired hurt on 22 and had to be stretchered off after the third ball of the 20th over. Having pulled the ball to short square leg, she dropped on her knees, clutching her right thigh. Earlier, following the third ball of the 14th over, she had received medical assistance for what seemed to be slight unease with her left hamstring. However, later she confirmed to Cricday: "It was just bad cramp, but I'm all good".
After Matthews departed, Chedean Nation and Deandra Dottin kept the chase ticking along before slow left-armer Inoka Ranaweera removed both of them and reached the 50th-wicket milestone in ODIs. However, Merissa Aguilleira (32 of 48 balls) and Kyshona Knight (21 off 36 balls) finished the job over the next ten overs.
Matthews was named the Player of the Match for her spell of 10-2-18-3.