Sri Lanka XI Restrict West Indies XI to 156 in First ODI

The first ODI between Sri Lanka XI and West Indies XI commenced with West Indies winning the toss and electing to bat first. The pitch report by Russel Arnold indicated a dry surface with visible cracks, favoring batting first.

West Indies openers Brandon King and Alick Athanaze began cautiously, facing the new ball from Asitha Fernando and Janith Liyanage. However, King soon found his rhythm, hitting a boundary off Fernando in the second over.

Sri Lanka's spinners, Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga, were introduced early on. Wellalage troubled Carty with his variations, while Hasaranga struck in his first over, dismissing King with a googly that cleaned up his stumps.

Athanaze and Carty steadied the innings, rotating the strike and picking up occasional boundaries. However, Wellalage continued to impress, finding the edge of Carty's bat in the eighth over.

As the innings progressed, the Sri Lankan bowlers maintained a tight line and length, restricting the West Indies batters from scoring freely. Liyanage and Jeffrey Vandersay bowled economically, while Hasaranga and Wellalage picked up wickets at regular intervals.

Carty top-scored for West Indies with 34 runs, while Athanaze contributed 22. The West Indies XI was eventually bowled out for 156 runs in 38.2 overs.

For Sri Lanka, Wellalage was the standout performer with figures of 3/25, while Hasaranga claimed 2/28. Liyanage and Vandersay also chipped in with wickets.

Tags: #SriLankaXI, #WestIndiesXI, #ODI, #Cricket, #DunithWellalage