Wed Oct 23 12:17:48 UTC 2024: **Summary of the News Article:**
– **Match Overview**: Sri Lanka faced the West Indies in the first One Day International (ODI) at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
– **West Indies’ Batting**: After winning the toss, the West Indies chose to bat first but struggled early, losing their openers Alik Athanaze (10 runs) and Brandon King (14 runs). Kyle Mayers contributed with 37 runs while Shai Hope scored 74 runs off 82 balls before rain interrupted the game.
– **Rain Impact**: Due to rain, the match was reduced from 50 overs to 37 overs, setting a DLS target of 232 runs for Sri Lanka.
– **Sri Lanka’s Response**: Sri Lankan debutant Nishan Madushka showed an impressive performance, scoring 69 runs off 54 balls with 7 boundaries and 1 six. Captain Charith Asalanka also performed well, scoring 77 runs off 71 balls.
– **Conclusion**: Sri Lanka successfully chased down the revised target, scoring 234 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 31.5 overs, winning the match by 5 wickets and establishing a strong start for the series.
First Piper 