Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Hayley Matthews Derails Sri Lanka to Hand West Indies Third Consecutive Win West Indies bolstered their semi-final aspirations by securing their third straight victory in the Women’s T20 World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka by five wickets at the County Ground in Bristol. The match, part of Group B, saw Hayley Matthews deliver a crucial three-wicket haul with the new ball, dismantling Sri Lanka’s top order and setting the tone for a dominant West Indies performance. Sri Lanka, struggling to adapt to the conditions, never fully recovered from the early setbacks, ultimately bowled out for 98 in 19.4 overs. West Indies, in contrast, chased down the target with relative ease, finishing at 99/5 in 17.1 overs. Sri Lanka’s batting woes began immediately, with Chamari Athapaththu surviving multiple run-out chances in the first two overs before falling to Matthews in the third. The West Indies bowler continued her dominance, dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 9/3. By the end of the Powerplay, the hosts were at 23/4, with Imesha Dulani and Kavisha Dilhari appearing unsteady at the crease. Dulhari’s dismissal to Chinelle Henry in the sixth over further compounded Sri Lanka’s troubles, leaving them in disarray. Despite a brief resurgence, Sri Lanka’s middle order failed to build momentum. Nilakshika Silva and Dilhari managed a 34-run partnership, but the stand ended abruptly when Dilhari returned a catch to Aaliyah Alleyne in the 10th over. Reduced to 57/5 at the halfway mark, Sri Lanka struggled to find consistency, with Silva scoring 30 off 26 balls and Kavinya Kavindi contributing 17 off 28.#sri_lanka #west_indies #hayley_matthews #women_s_t20_world_cup_2026 #county_ground_bristol
