RUTHERFORD AND MOTIE TRUMPED BY SRI LANKA’S CAPTAIN AS THE WEST INDIES SUFFER OPENING ODI DEFEAT

West Indies Lose Opening ODI by 3 Runs as Sri Lanka Captain Shines

Sri Lanka Defeats West Indies in Closely Contested ODI Match

The West Indies cricket team suffered a disappointing defeat in their opening One Day International (ODI) match against Sri Lanka on Sunday. Despite a valiant effort from batsmen Shamarh Brooks and Kyle Mayers, the West Indies fell short by just three runs in a thrilling encounter. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka played a pivotal role in securing the victory for his team, scoring a match-winning half-century and taking two crucial wickets.

Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a competitive total of 283 for 9 wickets. Pathum Nissanka led the way with a well-crafted 55, while Dhananjaya de Silva contributed a solid 62. The West Indies bowlers struggled to contain the Sri Lankan batsmen, with only Alzarri Joseph and Romario Shepherd managing to take multiple wickets.

In reply, the West Indies got off to a shaky start, losing opener Brandon King cheaply. However, Brooks and Mayers steadied the innings with a 115-run partnership. Brooks top-scored for the West Indies with a classy 93, while Mayers chipped in with a valuable 45. Akeal Hosein also made a useful contribution of 34 runs.

Sri Lanka fought back strongly in the latter stages of the West Indies innings. Shanaka dismissed Mayers and Brooks in quick succession, while Maheesh Theekshana took the key wicket of Nicholas Pooran. With the West Indies needing just 15 runs from the final two overs, Shanaka returned to bowl the penultimate over and conceded just a single run. This left the West Indies needing four runs from the final over, but they could only manage one run, handing Sri Lanka a narrow victory.

The defeat is a disappointing start to the ODI series for the West Indies. They will be looking to bounce back in the second ODI, which will be played on Wednesday.