Sri Lanka grab automatic 2019 World Cup berth at Windies' expense

Cricket - Only T20 Match - Sri Lanka v India - Colombo, Sri Lanka - September 6, 2017 - Sri Lanka's Seekkuge Prasanna celebrates with captain Upul Tharanga and his teammates after taking the wicket of India's Lokesh Rahul (not pictured). REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

(Reuters) - Sri Lanka have secured an automatic berth at the 2019 Cricket World Cup at the expense of West Indies after the two-times champions lost to England in the opener of their one-day series on Tuesday.

West Indies, who have 78 points in the ODI team rankings, cannot now overtake Sri Lanka (86 points) ahead of the Sept. 30 cut-off for automatic qualification regardless of how they do in the remaining four games.