The West Indies beat Sri Lanka with eight wickets and six balls in hand at Pallekele to end a 19-year winless streak in the country.
West indies Men ended their 19-year winless streak in Sri Lanka on October 27 at Pallekele. Sri Lanka were 156-3 in 23 overs after touring captain Shai Hope won the toss and opted to field. At this point, rain intervened, and the Sri Lankan innings had to be curtailed. For the hosts, Pathum Nissanka made 56 in 62 balls and Kusal Mendis 56 not out in 22 as Matthew Forde (5-0-12-0) starred with the ball.
The West Indies’s adjusted target was 195 in 23 overs. They began at a run a ball before Evin Lewis cut loose. Sri Lanka had a sniff when the West Indies needed 77 in 42 balls with Sherfane Rutherford new at the crease.
Third-fastest ODI century by a West Indian
But Rutherford exploded, as did Lewis at the other end. Between them, they hit three fours in the next over before Rutherford hit six, six, four off three consecutive balls from Maheesh Theekshana. Sri Lanka still brought the equation to 22 in 14, but three sixes – two by Lewis, one by Rutherford – sealed the match for the visitors with an over to spare.
The winning six took Lewis to 102 not out, off only 61 balls, making it the third-fastest ODI hundred for the West Indies, after Brian Lara (45 balls against Bangladesh at Dhaka, 1999/00) and Chris Gayle (55 balls against England, 2018/19). In all, he hit nine fours and four sixes. Rutherford, meanwhile, finished unbeaten on a 26-ball 50 (four fours, three sixes).
SL v WI, 3rd ODI highlights
Sri Lanka took the series 2-1, but the West Indies did win their first ODI in Sri Lanka since the 2005 Indian Oil Cup. On that occasion, they had made 226-7 and bowled out the hosts for 193 at R Premadasa Stadium. In all, they have won four ODIs in the country (in 1991, 1993, 2005, and 2024) and lost 14. Between 2005 and 2024, they had lost 10 consecutive ODIs in the country.
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