Ingenious Sri Lanka coast to a 30-run win

Brilliant batting and clinical bowling helped Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 30 runs in the first T20 match at Pallekelle International Stadium on Monday night.

The hosts’ top-order posted 215 for 3, their highest T20 score against Windies and later bowled composedly to notch up another morale-boosting victory over the visitors. Sri Lanka lead 1-0 in the two-match series with the final game scheduled to be played on 11th November at R. Premadasa International Stadium.

The game commenced one and half hours late due to rain and the Windies opted to field first. Kusal and Dilshan started punishing the Windies from the first ball itself and the visitors were all over the pitch map to give easy scoring options to the fearsome opening pair.

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They were off to a blazing start by scoring 65 off the first 6 overs and later their 91-run stand for the first wicket was ended by a well-executed off-cutter by Kieron Pollard. After being given three lives courtesy unsuccessful run-out attempts, Kusal was dismissed for 40.

Dilshan reached his 10th half-century after he became the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in this particular format, second in the all-time list. The veteran opener was cleaned up by Pollard while trying to play the switch-hit. His knock of 56 had 8 elegant boundaries.

Young Shehan Jayasuriya started off slowly due to some tight bowling in the middle overs but he collected 23 off Pollard’s last over which swung the momentum back towards Sri Lanka. The 24-year old left-hander was the third wicket in the Lankan innings after a well-compiled 22-ball 36.

Chandimal and Mathews added 60 runs in 22 balls to give real impetus to the Lankan final score. The hosts’ smashed 84 runs in the final 5 overs. Inaccurate death bowling by the Windies led to the highest T20 score at this venue. Chandimal took only 19 balls for his unbeaten 40 while Mathews consumed 13 deliveries to notch up 37 runs.

Chasing a mammoth 216 runs to win, Windies lost Johnson Charles in the very first over by a toe-crushing Malinga yorker. In-form Marlon Samuels found it difficult to cope with the slowness of Sachithra Senanayake’s bowling but Andre Fletcher was in fine nick as he reached his half-ton in just 22 balls.

Just as the Windies were on a roll, Sri Lanka pegged them back with the scalps of Andre Russell and Andre Fletcher. Russell was castled by Milinda Siriwardana while Fletcher failed to a read debutant Dushmantha Chameera’s leg-cutter. The right-handed Fletcher smashed 6 sixes during his 25-ball 57.

The experienced T20 campaigners, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo kept the visitors in chase by some clean hitting during their 27-ball partnership worth 51 but Senanayake picked up his 2nd wicket by dismissing Bravo after conceding 16 runs in the previous 3 balls.

Pollard, Sammy and Holder, all three fell to the bowling of Siriwardana and Senanayake as they all holed out at deep while looking to clear the ropes. Senanayake finished with 4 for 46, his best T20 bowling performance. The tail could not do much to save West Indies from their 6th defeat in the tour.

Sri Lanka – 215/3 in 20 overs: T M Dilshan 56, Kusal Perera 40, Shehan Jayasuriya 36, Dinesh Chandimal 40*, Angelo Mathews 37*.

West Indies – 185 all out in 19.5 overs: Andre Fletcher 57, Kieron Pollard 26, Dwayne Bravo 24, Sachithra Senanayake 4/46, Milinda Siriwardana 2/41, Lasith Malinga 2/19.