Dilhari and Gunaratne guide Sri Lanka Women to series lead

By M. Shamil Amit   

Kavisha Dilhari’s allround performance and a run a ball half ton by opener Vishmi Gunaratne paved the way for Sri Lanka Women to record a comfortable five wicket win over the visiting West Indies Women in the second ODI encounter played at Sooriyawewa Stadium yesterday which helped the host side to take the series with one more match to be played.   

Sri Lanka Women set a target of 93 runs underwent an early setback as they lost skipper Chamari Atapattu and Harshitha Samarawickrama with the score on 21 in the sixth over before Gunaratne along with Dilhari paired together for a match winning 58 runs partnership for the third wicket which ended with the dismissal of Gunaratne who made 50 in 50 balls with nine boundaries, but paved the way for Sri Lanka Women to record a comfortable victory.   

It was right arm spinner Dilhari who laid the foundation for victory with her four wicket haul and was supported by the right arm spin and pace duo skipper of Chamari Atapattu and Achini Kaushalya who together shared four wickets between them.   

The match turned out to be a low scoring affair as after West Indian skipper Shemaine Campbelle winning the toss and opting to take first lease of the wicket was made to struggle for their runs and they were in a spot of bother having lost their top five wickets with 53 runs on the board in the 23rd over.   

Despite a brief stand of 28 runs for the seventh wicket between Aaliyah Alleyne and Afy Flethcher (16) they failed to reach the three figure mark and were bowled out for 93 runs.   
The Sri Lanka Women in the process are winning a series against the West Indies after a lapse of 16 years with the last being in 2008. The two teams will play the third and final ODI on June 21 at the same venue.   

Result:

West Indies Women 92 in 31 overs (Rashada Williams 24, Aaliyah Alleyne 16: Kavisha Dilhari 4/20, Chamari Atapattu 2/8, Achini Kulasuriya 2/16)   
Sri Lanka Women 93 for 5 in 21.2 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 50, Kavisha Dilhari 28: Karishma Ramharack 2/29).