Matthews derails Sri Lanka to hand West Indies third consecutive win

Women's T20 World Cup, 2026

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Sun, Jun 21, 2026

West Indies strengthened their semi-final bid by registering their third straight win of the World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka at the County Ground in Bristol on Sunday. Hayley Matthews' three-wicket burst with the new ball derailed Sri Lanka early, and they never fully recovered. While the chase had a few hiccups, West Indies chased down the 99-run target with relative ease.

Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka appeared fidgety from the outset. Chamari Athapaththu survived three run-out opportunities in the first two overs before falling to Matthews in the third. Matthews also accounted for Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 9/3. Imesha Dulani fell to Chinelle Henry in the sixth over, leaving Sri Lanka on 23/4 at the end of the Powerplay.

Kavisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva combined for a 34-run stand to restore some stability, but the partnership ended when Dilhari returned a catch to Aaliyah Alleyne in the 10th over. Reduced to 57/5 at the halfway mark, Sri Lanka never found the acceleration needed for a competitive score. Silva battled for a 26-ball 30 but found little support beyond Kawya Kavindi's slow-paced 28-ball 17. They were bowled out for 98 in the 20th over.

The chase wasn't entirely straightforward. Mithali Ayodhya and Nimasha Meepage started well with the new ball, accounting for an opener each inside the Powerplay. Barring a wayward fourth over from Sugandika Kumari that went for 15 runs, Sri Lanka bowled well to restrict West Indies to 36/2 in the Powerplay.

Progress was steady for West Indies, even as Shemaine Campbell fell for a scratchy 4 off 12 balls in the ninth over. Dilhari's double strike in the 12th over briefly revived Sri Lanka's hopes, but the target proved too modest. Sri Lanka conceded 23 extras – the second-most in a Women's T20 World Cup innings. Stafanie Taylor and Jannillea Glasgow ensured West Indies crossed the line in the 18th over.

Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 98 all out in 19.4 overs (Nilakshika Silva 30, Kavisha Dilhari 20; Hayley Matthews 3-15, Karishma Ramharack 2-15) lost to West Indies 99/5 in 17.1 overs (Stefanie Taylor 27*; Kavisha Dilhari 2-22) by five wickets.