Sri Lanka vs West Indies 2024/25, SL vs WI 1st ODI Match Report, October 20, 2024

West Indies 185 for 4 (Rutherford 74*, Carty 37, Chase 33*, Hasaranga 2-18) vs Sri Lanka

Dunith Wellalage was into the attack as early as the fifth over – and even before medium pacer Janith Liyanage had resorted to offcutters on a hard length – while spin was in effect from both ends not long after. West Indies, to their credit, had begun positively, with Brandon King pouncing on anything loose, two flashy drives through the covers off Asitha Fernando the highlights. It meant they were able to maintain a fairly health run rate at a tick over five an over during this early period.

However, once King fell, playing all around a googly from Hasaranga – introduced in the eighth over of the innings – the tempo fell drastically. Another googly had an advancing Alick Athanaze stumped at the start of Hasaranga’s next over, and it wasn’t long before Sri Lanka’s third lead spinner, Vandersay, was into the action. Shai Hope is traditionally a good player of spin, but a good review from Vandersay proved that a regulation forward defence had been pad first as Hope was trapped lbw.

A Rutherford cut for four in the 17th over was the first West Indies boundary in 47 deliveries; by the traditional halfway point of 25 overs, they had inched to 94 for 3. It was here that a frustrated Carty unleashed a powerful one-handed loft over long-on for six to break the shackles somewhat, but that relief was shortlived as he fell going for a repeat performance the very next delivery. That brought to an end a 46-run partnership – the West Indies’ best of the innings until that point.

But with the dependable Chase alongside him, Rutherford continued as before, picking off singles and attempting to pounce on any rare loose deliveries. This suited Sri Lanka just fine as it allowed Asalanka to run through nine overs for 40 runs. Though perhaps he ought to have cashed out at that point, taking heed of Rutherford’s warning – a monster six over cow corner at the end of his ninth over. But instead, the Sri Lanka skipper overplayed his hand and went for one final over, which Chase and Rutherford duly dispatched for 16 runs – something which provided the innings with some much-needed momentum.

With a persistent drizzle wetting the pitch and making the ball slide on a touch more, the next five overs went at above a run-a-ball and West Indies were likely eyeing a total in the region of 275. But then the rains came.