All eyes at Chester-le-Street in Durham on Monday were as much on the proceedings on the cricket field as on a certain section in the stands where Rihanna was loudly cheering the men from the Caribbean. In the match against Sri Lanka, and despite the passionate support of the immensely popular pop star, West Indies lost out by 23 runs in a high-scoring encounter.
Rihanna was in the stands and grabbed quite a lot of attention as she watched West Indies face off against Sri Lanka. Every wicket, each run and every shot to the boundary and beyond from the West Indies players was exuberantly applauded by the singer who hails from Barbados.
While the bowling may have left her a tad unimpressed, Rihanna looked mighty pleased with how West Indies players went about the task of chasing a target of 339 set by the Sri Lankans. In a match that was only for pride for the Men in Maroon, boundaries and sixes flowed freely for most of the second innings. Nicholas Pooran slammed a 103-ball 118 but his team could not go past the finish line, much to the disappointment of West Indies' fans, including Rihanna who is known for her hit singles like 'Diamonds', 'Stay' and 'Umbrella'
Having Rihanna's support, however, meant a lot. "I want to thank her personally for coming out to support us. It was a pleasant surprise," said Jason Holder, also a Barbadian, after the match. "I’m sure the guys felt her presence in the stands and she came down to the dressing room to meet quite a few of the players which was really refreshing. It can’t be easy for a celebrity."
West Indies have had streaks of brilliance this World Cup but have not had favourable results coming their way. With just three points from eight matches, the team is placed ninth in the points table and have one match - against Afghanistan, left.
