Youth ODI Series: Sri Lanka crush West Indies by eight wickets

Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the Youth ODI series with a dominant eight-wicket win over the West Indies Under-19s at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, taking a 2–1 lead after another commanding display with both ball and bat.
Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies rolled on at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, where the hosts won the toss and chose to bat first in the third Youth ODI. However, the decision quickly backfired as both openers were dismissed within the first three overs. Skipper Joshua Dorne and Earsinho Fontaine briefly steadied the innings with a 63-run partnership before Chamika Heenatigala struck to remove Dorne for 29 off 45 balls. Fontaine battled on for a well-constructed 51 off 66 deliveries, striking seven boundaries, but his dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse.

From that point, the West Indies had no answers to the spin duo of Heenatigala and the in-form Vigneshwaran Akash. The pair ripped through the middle and lower order, sharing eight wickets between them, as the hosts crumbled to 138 all out in 39.2 overs.
In reply, Sri Lanka coasted to victory thanks to a commanding 90-run partnership between Viran Chamuditha and Kavija Gamage. Chamuditha was the star of the chase, crafting an unbeaten 64 from 70 balls, decorated with 10 boundaries. Gamage provided steady support with 28, as the visitors cruised to 139 for 2 in 22 overs, sealing a comfortable eight-wicket win and a 2–1 lead in the series.
The series is set to continue at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Sunday, September 7th, at 09:30h.