All-round Chamari Athapaththu helps Sri Lanka to 1-0 lead over West Indies

Skipper Chamari Athapaththu's all-round show ensured Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead over the West Indies with a four-wicket win in the second T20I in Grenada. The first match of the series was washed out due to rain.

Put in to bat, the West Indies managed only 101/9. Athapaththu shared the new ball, conceding nine runs off her first five balls before claiming her first T20I wicket in the Caribbean since 2018, sneaking one past Qiana Joseph to rattle the off-stump.

Jahzara Claxton fell in the final over of the Powerplay. From there, captain Hayley Matthews rebuilt alongside Stafanie Taylor, but Matthews fell for 28 in the 11th over, slog sweeping Athapaththu to deep backward square. Her 28 was the innings' top score.

Deandra Dottin hit West Indies' only six in the 13th over, but perished next over trying to target the same area. Chinelle Henry was stumped off Kavisha Dilhari soon after.

Malki Madara's variations tied up the West Indies on a slow pitch. Her slower ball rattled Shermaine Campbell's stumps, and a sharp leg-cutter cleaned up Jannilea Glasgow. Stafanie Taylor was caught at cover in the 18th over, leaving them eight down.

In a dramatic finish, No.11 Karishma Ramharack was out obstructing the field, trying to block a throw while attempting a second run.

Chase: Athapaththu set an aggressive tone, launching a six over mid-wicket off Hayley Matthews in her second over—the only six of the innings. She added two fours in a row off Karishma Ramharack and clubbed Chinelle Henry past point twice in the final Powerplay over.

At 45/0 in six overs, Sri Lanka looked set for a quick finish. Fellow opener Hasini Perera collected a couple of boundaries, taking them to 56/0 in seven.

But West Indies fought back. Hasini was caught at short fine-leg slog sweeping Matthews in the eighth over. Four balls later, Athapaththu was out lbw to Afy Fletcher for 39. Momentum dissipated as Sri Lanka managed just eight runs off the next 22 balls.

Harshitha was caught behind off Ramharack, making it 32 needed off 48. Imesha Dulani lobbed an easy catch to mid-wicket off Fletcher, and Qiana Joseph had Nilakshika Silva stumped at the start of the 14th over. In the six overs after Athapaththu's dismissal, Sri Lanka scored just 12 runs.

At 74/5, the chase wobbled, but West Indies' total of 101 wasn't enough to properly challenge. Vishmi Gunaratne fell in the 17th over with 11 needed off 19, but Kavisha Dilhari saw Sri Lanka home without further drama.

Brief scores:
West Indies Women 101/9 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 28, Stafanie Taylor 14; Malki Madara 3-16, Nilakshika Silva 3-20) lost to Sri Lanka Women 102/6 in 18.1 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 39, Kavisha Dilhari 18*; Qiana Joseph 2-13, Afy Fletcher 2-16) by four wickets.