Cricket

Evin Lewis's scintillating 94-run knock propelled West Indies to a resounding eight-wicket victory over England in the rain-affected opening ODI of the three-match series in Antigua.Chasing a revised target of 157 from 35 overs, Lewis unleashed a barrage of boundaries, smashing five fours and eight towering sixes in his 69-ball innings. He forged a crucial 118-run partnership with Brandon King (30) to lay the foundation for the West Indies' triumph.Lewis's pursuit of his sixth ODI century was halted by Jacob Bethell, who caught him off Adil Rashid's bowling with just 13 runs needed for victory. However, Keacy Carty (19) and captain Shai Hope (6) guided the West Indies home with 55 balls to spare.England, fielding four ODI debutants, were dismissed for 209 runs in 49.4 overs. Stand-in captain Liam Livingstone top-scored with 48, while Sam Curran contributed 37.Gudakesh Motie was the star of the West Indies bowling attack, claiming 4 for 41, while Jayden Seales took 2 for 22.The victory gives West Indies a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second match scheduled for Saturday at the same venue.

West Indies captain Shai Hope elected to bowl first after winning the toss in the opening ODI against England in Antigua. The match marked the international debuts of John Turner and Dan Mousley for England, along with 50-over debuts for Jamie Overton and Jordan Cox.Liam Livingstone, standing in for the injured Jos Buttler, made his captaincy debut for England. Despite missing key players like Harry Brook due to upcoming Test tours, Livingstone expressed excitement for the young team's opportunities.Turner's selection came after impressing in the 2023 Men's Hundred, while Mousley's inclusion provided England with four allrounder spin options alongside Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, and Livingstone. Cox was slated to bat at No. 3, while Overton would be available to bowl after playing as a batter in his T20I debut against Australia.West Indies, returning from their Sri Lanka tour, made one change to their lineup, with Shimron Hetmyer replacing Jewel Andrew in the middle order.

The third and final ODI between Sri Lanka and West Indies commenced with West Indies captain Shai Hope electing to bowl first. The West Indies made two changes to their lineup, bringing in Evin Lewis and Matthew Forde, while Sri Lanka remained unchanged.Matthew Forde opened the bowling for West Indies and immediately impressed, conceding only 1 run in his first over. However, Jayden Seales struggled at the other end, conceding 14 runs in his first two overs. Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando got Sri Lanka off to a solid start, scoring 24 runs in the first four overs.Seales finally found his rhythm in the fifth over, bowling a maiden. However, Nissanka broke the shackles in the next over, hitting a boundary off Alzarri Joseph. Fernando joined the party in the seventh over, smashing a glorious four off Seales.Forde continued to impress, bowling another maiden in the eighth over. Nissanka and Fernando kept the scoreboard ticking, adding 20 runs in the next three overs. Seales returned to the attack in the 12th over and conceded another boundary to Nissanka.The West Indies bowlers struggled to contain the Sri Lankan openers, who reached 50 runs in the 13th over. Nissanka and Fernando continued to dominate, scoring boundaries at regular intervals. Seales finally broke the partnership in the 17th over, dismissing Nissanka for 32.Fernando continued to play aggressively, hitting another boundary off Joseph in the 18th over. However, he was dismissed in the next over by Seales, caught by King for 24. Sri Lanka reached 80 runs in the 20th over, with Charith Asalanka and Dinesh Chandimal at the crease.

In the third and final ODI of the series in Pallekele, West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran elected to field first after winning the toss. Sri Lanka, who hold an unassailable 2-0 lead, will bat first for the first time on a surface expected to favor spin.Sri Lanka has made two changes to their lineup, bringing back opener Pathum Nissanka and seamer Dilshan Madushanka. Nishan Madushka and Dunith Wellalage have been omitted, resulting in Sri Lanka fielding two frontline seamers for the first time in the series."He impressed me a lot," said Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka of Madushka. "He didn't play as a debutant, he played as a mature player. I think he'll do a lot of things for the country."West Indies, on the other hand, has made three changes, with batters Evin Lewis and Jewel Andrew, and fast-bowler Matthew Forde joining the team. Seventeen-year-old Andrew will make his international debut, while Lewis returns to ODI cricket for the first time since July 2021. Alick Athanaze, Romario Shepherd, and Hayden Walsh have been dropped.The match will be played on a fresh pitch with relatively even square boundaries. Spin will be a factor, but it is expected to be slower, with the ball potentially sliding onto the bat as the evening progresses. There is a possibility of rain during the game.

Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka led his team to a convincing five-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second ODI at Pallekele, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Chasing a revised target of 190 in 44 overs due to rain, Sri Lanka lost early wickets but recovered through a 62-run partnership between Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama. Asalanka then took charge, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 62 off 61 deliveries, including seven fours and a six. He shared a crucial 55-run stand with Janith Liyanage to guide Sri Lanka home with 34 balls to spare.Earlier, the West Indies were in dire straits at 58-8 after being put in to bat. However, a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership between Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie rescued them. Rutherford, dropped twice, smashed 80 off 82 balls, while Motie contributed an unbeaten 50. Their 119-run stand eclipsed the previous highest ninth-wicket partnership for the West Indies in ODIs.Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, claiming 4-40 on a challenging pitch.Asalanka's match-winning knock marked his second consecutive half-century in the series, following his 77 in the first ODI. The victory extended Sri Lanka's impressive home record, with this being their tenth consecutive home series win.The third and final ODI will be played at the same venue on Saturday, with Sri Lanka aiming to complete a clean sweep.

Sri Lanka Opt to Bowl First in Rain-Shortened Second ODI Against West IndiesIn a rain-affected second ODI, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies. The toss was delayed by over two hours due to drizzle, and the match was reduced to a 44-overs-a-side affair.Asalanka explained that his decision was based on his team's preference to chase, especially in a match where Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations could come into play. West Indies captain Shai Hope also indicated that he would have chosen to bowl first.West Indies, trailing 1-0 in the series, fielded an unchanged lineup from their previous loss. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, replaced legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay with mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana.Sri Lanka Team:* Nishan Madushka* Avishka Fernando* Kusal Mendis (wk)* Sadeera Samarawickrama* Charith Asalanka (capt)* Janith Liyanage* Kamindu Mendis* Wanindu Hasranga* Dunith Wellalage* Asitha Fernando* Maheesh TheekshanaWest Indies Team:* Alick Athanaze* Brandon King* Keacy Carty* Shai Hope (capt, wk)* Sherfane Rutherford* Roston Chase* Romario Shepherd* Hayden Walsh* Gudakesh Motie* Jayden Seales* Alzarri JosephThe match commenced with West Indies batting first, aiming to level the series. Sri Lanka's bowlers will be tasked with containing the West Indian batters and building on their advantage in the series.

West Indies' tour of Sri Lanka has been marred by controversy over the state of the pitches, with the visitors expressing dissatisfaction with the turning tracks prepared for the T20I series. Coach Daren Sammy claimed a "moral victory" for his team, suggesting that their performance forced Sri Lanka to produce more favorable conditions for the second and third matches.However, in the first ODI in Pallekele, West Indies faced another challenging surface, compounded by unfavorable weather conditions. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the team's innings was interrupted by rain in the 39th over. The delay not only prevented Sri Lanka's bowlers from bowling with a wet ball but also forced West Indies to contend with a slippery ball throughout the second innings.Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka acknowledged the impact of the wet ball on his team's victory, while debutant Nishan Madushka, who played a crucial role in the match-winning partnership, echoed this sentiment. He noted that the West Indies bowlers struggled to grip the ball, resulting in reduced turn on the wicket.Despite the challenging conditions, West Indies' bowlers initially dominated, taking three wickets in the first three overs. However, Madushka and Asalanka's partnership turned the tide in Sri Lanka's favor. The batters repeatedly hit the ball into waterlogged areas, significantly altering the condition of the ball. West Indies' bowlers appealed to the umpires to change the balls, but their requests were denied.Sri Lanka's strategy of prolonging the game until bowling became more difficult proved effective. Madushka revealed that Asalanka instructed the team to drag the game to 20 or 25 overs before reassessing. This positive mindset contributed to his own performance and the team's eventual victory.With the remaining two ODIs also scheduled to be played in Pallekele, conditions are likely to continue playing a significant role in the outcome. From West Indies' perspective, they have faced a substantial disadvantage thus far on the tour.

West Indies Opt to Bat First in ODI Series Opener Against Sri LankaIn the first of three ODIs at Pallekele, West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka. The decision came after Sri Lanka's 2-1 victory in the T20I leg of the tour.Hope expressed his team's determination to put the T20 series disappointment behind them, while Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka also indicated his preference for batting first.Sri Lanka's team features three spinners in Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, and Dunith Wellalage, along with Asitha Fernando as the lone seamer. Janith Liyanage provides additional medium-pace options. Notably, star opener Pathum Nissanka is absent due to a quadricep injury, with Nishan Madushka making his ODI debut in his place.West Indies have also opted for an additional spin option in leg-spinner Hayden Walsh, joining Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase. Alick Athanaze offers another spin option, while Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, and Romario Shepherd provide seam bowling.The Pallekele pitch has traditionally favored seam bowling, but its current dry condition with visible tracks suggests that spin will play a significant role. However, the slow turn expected may encourage batters to work the outfielders on the spacious ground.Sri Lanka XI:* Nishan Madushka* Kusal Mendis (wk)* Avishka Fernando* Kamindu Mendis* Charith Asalanka (capt)* Sadeera Samarawickrama* Janith Liyanage* Wanindu Hasaranga* Dunith Wellalage* Jeffrey Vandersay* Asitha FernandoWest Indies XI:* Brandon King* Alick Athanaze* Shai Hope (capt, wk)* Keacy Carty* Sherfane Rutherford* Roston Chase* Romario Shepherd* Hayden Walsh* Gudakesh Motie* Jayden Seales* Alzarri Joseph

New Zealand's White Ferns have secured their place in the Women's T20 World Cup final after a thrilling eight-run victory over the West Indies in Sharjah on Friday.Despite a valiant effort from Deandra Dottin, who limited New Zealand to 128-9 with her impressive 4-22 bowling performance, her powerful 33 from 22 balls, including three sixes, was not enough to carry the West Indies to victory.New Zealand's innings got off to a promising start with Suzie Bates (26) and Georgia Plimmer (33) putting on 48 for the first wicket. However, Dottin's bowling prowess proved too much for the White Ferns, as she dismissed Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday (18), Maddy Green, and Rosemary Mair. Isabella Gaze's late flourish of 20 from 14 balls gave the New Zealand bowlers a total to defend.The West Indies faced a difficult start against New Zealand's precise bowling, and their chances seemed slim when captain Hayley Matthews was out for 15. Dottin's explosive innings brought the West Indies back into contention, but her dismissal left Afy Fletcher (17 not out) and Zaida James (14) to continue the battle.New Zealand only secured the win in the final over of the match, with Eden Carson, the New Zealand off-spinner, being awarded Player of the Match for her impressive figures of 3-29 from four overs.The White Ferns will now face South Africa, who knocked out defending champions Australia on Thursday, in Sunday's final at Dubai. New Zealand, who were runners-up in the first two tournaments in 2009 and 2010, will be hoping to secure their first T20 World Cup title.