West Indies vs Sri Lanka, 29th Match, Super Six at Harare, CWC Qualifier, Jul 07 2023 - Match Result

4:28pm Right. That will be that from us for today. Do join us on Sunday, though, as Sri Lanka take on the Netherlands in the final of this World Cup Qualifier. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Madushka, Sudeep, Vairavan and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo. Goodbye and take care!

Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka captain: (On the bowling) Today is the first time we are playing in Harare. With the new ball, we had to hit our lengths. Compared to Bulawayo, this is a flatter wicket so we needed to keep it tight to allow our spinners to come into play. (On Theekshana) He has been consistent in this tournament. I hope he can carry this form in the upcoming series as well. (On the dropped catches) We could have taken those catches. What I tell my players is to stay cool and calm. If we had taken those crucial catches, we could have kept them down by 50-60 runs. (Message for the final) Our camp is very positive and we are very confident with our performance. What we need to control is our performance. The result will take care of itself. We are looking forward to the final.

Shai Hope, West Indies captain: (On the batting performance) Not enough runs on the board. Batting first is always a challenge - bowlers get assistance with the early moisture. They bowled well and we did not get enough runs. (On Carty) Special innings. he is a quality player, glad to see he has some runs under his belt. He is capable of getting big scores and hopefully he can get more runs for us. (On the bowling) I can commend the guys for the fight they showed but again, catches let us down. You have to hope for the best (with such a score) but it did not go our way. (On how the conditions change in the first and second innings) It changes quite a bit. When you are batting second, it comes onto the bat nicely. (What he will take back from the tournament) Well, just leave this behind us. Look forward. Communication is the key. We are already at the bottom, we have to find ways to get back up.

Maheesh Theekshana, Player of the Match: (On bowling without Hasaranga) I knew I had to lead today (with Arachchige making his debut and Dushan having only played one game before). Dilshan bowled pretty well with the new ball. (Plans with the new ball) We let some runs go. I just wanted to keep it tight so that I can create pressure and then pick wickets. The wicket is very flat after the ball gets old. So, there are more chances to get wickets with the new ball.

Jess: "At the start of qualifiers, who'd have thought that WI'll finish lower than Scotland, Zimbabwe "

4:14pm An utterly one-sided contest that was set up by the Sri Lankan bowlers before the batters put in a clinical display. Nissanka, who led their charge against Zimbabwe, was the batting star again, registering his second successive ODI century. He found an able ally in Karunaratne, who notched up yet another fifty. Mendis then walked in, knocked the ball around and ensured that Sri Lanka finished off the job without any hiccups.

As for the West Indies, well, they seemed to lack intent throughout the contest. Carty's knock helped them get up to 243 but as the game progressed, it became clear that that was not well short of being par. Their bowling lacked ideas and while they were a little hamstrung personnel wise, they would not be happy with the number of catches they put down, the misfields and the general lack of penetration.

In short, this was a game that highlighted just why Sri Lanka will be playing the World Cup later this year and why the West Indies, despite being one of the more fancied sides prior to the Qualifier, will have to watch the World Cup from home.

SL need just three runs for victory. Surely they will wrap it up this over?

Sri Lanka a hit away from victory now

Kamalpiryani@gm: "It is quite disappointing to see once mighty WI at such a low. " -- Worst part is this result felt inevitable, especially considering how WI have been playing and how strong SL have looked this tournament...