ST PAUL’S, St Kitts (CMC) — An unbroken 41-run stand for the ninth wicket between Shanel Daley and Anisa Mohammed allowed West Indies Women to draw first blood in their One-Day Series with a two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka Women in a cliffhanger on Sunday.

Daley hit two fours in the top-score of 23 not out from 28 balls, and Mohammed made 15 not out from 27 balls, as Windies Women — chasing 130 for victory from their allocation of 33 overs — reached their target with three balls to spare in the rain-affected opening match of the series at St Paul’s Recreation Ground.

Mohammed formalised the result when she lofted Udeshika Prabodani straight for two runs, and coupled with her economical, if not penetrative bowling, earned the Player-of-the-Match award.

Windies Women had restricted the Sri Lankans to 129 for eight from 33 overs, after rain delayed the start by an hour-and-a-half, after the hosts won the toss.

But West Indies did not start their chase well, losing key batter Jamaican Stafanie Taylor for six and were soon in the hole on 47 for four.

Cordel Jack then scored 20 and Stacy-Ann King made 16 to revive the innings with a stand of 35 for the fifth-wicket before things spun out of control again.

The homesters collapsed from 82 for four to 92 for eight, but Mohammed joined Daley, daughter of former Jamaica all-rounder Aaron Daley, and they carried the home team over the threshold.

Earlier, Danielle Small collected two wickets for 18 runs from five overs, and Shakera Selman two for 24 from four overs, as Windies Women put the visitors under early pressure.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA WOMEN (maximum 33 overs)

D DaSilva c wkpr Campbell b Selman 20

C Attapttu b Small 0

H Fernando c *Aguilleira b Selman 3

S Siriwardene c wkpr Campbell b Small 0

*C Seneviratna c wkpr Campbell b Mohammed 17

S de Alwis c Nero b Lavine 10

E Lokusuriya c and b Taylor 32

+D Manodara retired out 8

D Rasangika not out 2

S Weerakkody not out 11

Extras (lb1, w20, nb5) 26

TOTAL (8 wkts, 33 overs) 129

Sandamali Dolawatta did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-28, 3-30, 4-33, 5-66, 6-72, 7-104, 8-116

Bowling: Small 5-0-18-2, Selman 4-0-24-2, Lavine 7-0-23-1, Taylor 6-0-30-1, Mohammed 9-1-24-1, Daley 2-0-9-0

WEST INDIES WOMEN (target: 130 off 33 overs)

P Lavine c and b Prabodani 22

S Taylor b Prabodani 6

J Nero run out (Rasangika) 3

C Jack run out (+Manodara) 20

*M Aguilleira c Siriwardene b Seneviratne 1

S King c and b Lokusuriya 16

S Campbell c wkpr Manodara b Lokusuriya 5

S Daley not out 23

D Small run out (Prabodani) 2

A Mohammed not out 15

Extras (b4, lb3, w12, nb1) 20

TOTAL (8 wkts, 32.3 overs) 133

B Cooper did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-36, 3-42, 4-47, 5-82, 6-86, 7-89, 8-92

Bowling: Weerakkody 2-0-15-0, Prabodani 6.3-1-21-2, Seneviratne 7-1-27-1, de Alwis 4-1-13-0, Siriwardene 7-0-26-0, Lokusuriya 6-1-24-2

Result: West Indies Women won by two wickets

Toss: West Indies Women

Umpires: L Kelly, V Weekes

Player-of-the-Match: Anisa Mohammed (West Indies Women)