SYLHET, Bangladesh (CMC) – West Indies Women stormed to the top of Group B with their third straight win, after trouncing Sri Lanka Women by eight wickets at the at the Sylhet Stadium yesterday.The victory was set up by left-arm spinner Shanel Daley who grabbed 4 for 15 from her four overs to send Sri Lanka tumbling to 84 all out off 16.5 overs., before prolific opener Stafanie Taylor made the result a formality by anchoring a measured run chase which saw West Indies reach their target with five overs to spare.
With the win, the Caribbean women moved to six points, virtually assuring themselves of a semi-final spot, with just one game left to play in the preliminaries.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka Women started well to reach 41 for one in the fifth over before suffering a sudden collapse to lose their last nine wickets for 43 runs.
Opener Yasoda Mendis top-scored with 21 while Eshani Kaushalya got 20, but they were the only players to pass 20.
Mendis put on 25 for the first wicket with Chamari Jayangani who managed just three before she was bowled by pacer Tremayne Smartt (3-15) in the fourth over.
Sri Lanka rebuilt through Mendis and Sripali Weerakkody (11) but Daley struck in her first over – the sixth of the innings – removing Mendis with the third delivery and Weerakkody with her fifth.
At 69 for four in the 12th over Sri Lanka appeared to be making a recovery but another clatter of wickets sealed their fate. Daley prised out Shashikala Siriwardene (9), inspiring the final collapse that saw the final six wickets fall for just 15 runs.
Taylor and Kycia Knight (15) then gave West Indies a solid start of 36 from 41 balls, to negate any chance of a Sri Lanka comeback, with the right-handed Taylor facing 45 balls and striking seven fours while Knight got 15 before she was stumped off off-spinner Siriwardene.
Taylor and Deandra Dottin (7) put on a further 35 for the second wicket, a partnership that put the Windies Women within sight of victory.

SCORECARD
SRI LANKA WOMEN innings
C. Jayangani b Smartt 3
Y. Mendis c Smartt b Daley 21
S. Weerakkody c Dottin b Daley 11
S. Siriwardene c Taylor b Daley 9
C. Kumarihami run out 2
E. Kaushalya c Kycia Knight b Mohammed 20
O. Ranasinghe lbw b Quintyne 1
U. Prabodhani b Smartt 4
I. Ranaweera lbw b Daley 1
M. Samuddika not out 1
R. Vandort b Smartt 1
Extras: (b-5, lb-2, nb-3) 10
Total: (all out, 16.5 overs) 84
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-41, 3-43, 4-49, 5-69, 6-72, 7-79, 8-82, 9-82.
Bowling: Selman 3-0-21-0, Smartt 3.5-0-15-3, Quintyne 3-0-14-1, Daley 4-0-15-4, Mohammed 3-0-12-1.
WEST INDIES WOMEN innings
Kycia Knight stp.. Vandort b Siriwardene 15
S. Taylor not out 56
D. Dottin run-out 7
S. Campbelle not out 9
Total: (2 wkts, 15 overs) 87
Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-71
Bowling: Prabodhani 3-1-10-0, Weerakkody 2-0-11-0, Samuddika 2-0-14-0, Kumarihami 1-0-8-0, Siriwardene 3-0-14-1, Ranaweera 3-0-24-0, Ranasinghe 1-0-6-0.