March 1, 2020, 12:46 a.m.
West Indies will look to put their two defeats behind them and go full throttle against Sri Lanka in the third and final One-Day International on Sunday. The teams have moved to the Pallakele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy and the visitors will seek inspiration as they look to avoid a clean sweep.
- First ball in the day/night contest is 2:30pm (5am Eastern Caribbean Time/4am Jamaica Time). Fans can catch the action online available on https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOfficialSLC as well as the SLC webpage http://cricket.lk
- Global weather and digital media leader https://www.accuweather.com offered match-day weather insights. It’s expected to be a bright afternoon, with temperatures between 29°C and 33°C. It will get progressively cooler and a bit dewy later on, but that is unlikely to be a decisive factor, as teams have successfully defended scores in three of the last four games played here.
Head Coach Phil Simmons outlined that there is still plenty to play for even though the previous two results have not gone their way. Simmons was speaking to reporters on the eve of the game as West Indies held a training session under lights.
“All we can do is continue to work, as we have been working before, so that we can correct it tomorrow. The main positive from the first game is definitely the way we fought back after [conceding] 78 off the first 10 overs and in the second one, the way we bowled in the first 10 overs. So, if we can put both together, we should get a complete 50 overs. Batting-wise, I think we batted well in the first ODI and put some partnerships together. In the second ODI, we didn’t do any of that,” he said.
“My players have no problem being motivated. So whatever happened in the last two games, doesn’t hinder the motivation of the players. Fielding is something that we’re working extremely hard on and we’re trying to get everyone to enjoy the day in the field. That’s where we’re going to change things.”
A high-scoring contest is expected at a ground that has normally offers flat batting surfaces. The ball might grip and turn as the game progresses but dew could play a substantial role especially in the second innings under the lights.
-CWI
