Wet balls contribute to West Indies' defeat in Pallekele

In the first ODI, West Indies didn’t just get another dry surface, the weather in Pallekele also conspired against them. Having won the toss and batted first, the rains coming through in the 39th over of the West Indies innings could barely have affected them worse.Not only did the interruption last long enough to ensure that Sri Lanka’s bowlers – who had had dry conditions to operate in before the weather arrived – did not have to bowl with a wet ball. It also meant West Indies had to contend with a slippery ball right through the second innings – something Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka noted as a factor in his team’s victory in the post-match presentation.After the game, Nishan Madushka, who hit 69 off 54 balls on ODI debut, and was part of a match-winning 137-run partnership with Asalanka, reiterated this.”Their bowlers were really good, but because of the rain around, I think they had trouble gripping the ball,” he said. “There was less turn on the wicket too, to be…