The Sri Lankan cricket team emerged triumphant by 8 wickets against the West Indies team, as part of the World Cup qualification process in a thrilling super round match held in Harare today (07).
Chasing a target of 244 runs, Sri Lanka achieved victory with 34 balls to spare, thanks to an outstanding century by opener Pathum Nishanka. This marked his second century in the tournament. Pathum showcased his exceptional batting skills by scoring 104 runs off 113 balls, including 14 boundaries.
Dimuth Karunaratne, partnering with Pathum, also displayed an impressive innings, contributing 83 runs from 92 deliveries, including 7 fours. The opening partnership between Dimuth and Pathum reached an impressive 190 runs.
After Dimuth’s dismissal at 204, Kusal Mendis remained unbeaten on 34 runs, while Sadheera Samarawickrama scored an unbeaten 17 runs, securing the victory for Sri Lanka.
For the West Indies, Kevin Sinclair and Arkel Hosin managed to claim one wicket each.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, the Sri Lankan team made several changes to their lineup, including the inclusion of Matisha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushka, Dushan Hemantha, and Sahan Arachchi, who made his ODI debut in this match.
Among the West Indies batsmen, Johnson Charles scored 39 runs, Casey Curti contributed 87 runs, Romario Sheppard added 26 runs, and Kevin Sinclair contributed 25 runs. The West Indies team was eventually bowled out for 243 runs in 48.1 overs.
Mahish Thiekshana stood out as the hero of the match, taking an impressive 4 wickets for 34 runs. Dushan Hemantha claimed 2 wickets for 61 runs, while Matisha Pathirana, Dilshan Madhusankha, Dasun Shanaka, and Sahan Arachchi each secured one wicket.
