Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella scored 94 each as Sri Lanka over came West Indies by a single run even though Evin Lewis scored a magnificent 148 in the 5th ODI of the tri series.
Sri Lanka was sent into bat following the toss. Sri Lanka made two surprising changes to the team from the previous game against Zimbabwe as Nuwan Pradeep and Shehan Jayasooriya replaced Dasun Shanaka and Jeffrey Vandersay.
West Indies was unchanged from their previous outing as the point table leaders looked to cement their final spot with a win over Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka lost Kusal Mendis in as early as the third over as the hard hitting opener was cleaned up for 7 by a scorcher from Shannon Gabriel.
Sri Lanka got their innings back on track courtesy Dhananjaya De Silva’s exuberant 58. The 3rd wicket partnership for Sri Lanka took off in the seventh over as Niroshan Dickwella scooped Carlos Brathwaite over fine leg. The very next ball, Dickwella flicked a leg stump half-volley for a six.
Dhananjaya took over from there as he smacked Carlos Brathwaite for two successive boundaries. Dhananjaya matches Dickwella stroke-for-stroke before holding out softly to Kraigg Brathwaite for a well compiled 58.
From then on it was the Dickwella-Mendis show as the duo took on the West Indies bowling, smashing them to all parts of the ground. Dickwella reached his maiden half century off 50 balls.
Dickwella slowed to play the ball on its merits. Meanwhile Kusal Mendis stepped on the gas as he continued to take the spinners to the cleaners.
Jason Holder re-introduced himself in to the attack as Niroshan Dickwella was in the nervous 90’s. The decision soon paid dividends as the pacer trapped Dickwella on 94 as the batsman’s head fell over and played around the ball. The decision was reviewed but it was all in wain as three reds displayed and the decision stayed as the on field decision of out.
Meanwhile Kusal Mendis continued on his merry way as he reached his 50 and carried on. Shehan Jayasuriya came and went for 9 runs as he was bowled of an inside edge by paceman Carlos Brathwaite.
The fall of two quick wickets did not hamper Kusal’s innings. With seven overs left and with the stand-in captain Upul Tharanga watching at the other end, Kusal Mendis dispatched Asheley Nurse for two successive sixes before holding out to wicket keeper off a rather wide delivery to bring a disappointing end to an excellent innings.
Asela Gunaratne lasted just 10 balls before he was caught-out at midwicket for a score of 6 runs. From then on it was Upul Tharanga along with low order batsman Sachith Pathirana who saw the innings through with cameos to ensure West Indies hade to chase a 300+ total, which they have not done in 29 attempts.
West Indies began their chase brightly as the openers came out all guns blazing. Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis brought up the West Indian 50 in just 38 balls with some lusty blows.
Johnson Charles fell for 26 off 24 as Suranga Lakmal broke the opening partnership with the score on 63 in 8 overs.
Kraigg Brathwaite lasted 33 deliveries as he took his time to score 16 runs before he was bowled by Asela Gunaratne. An off-cutter spun back like an off-break, Kraigg Brathwaite had no idea that the ball would jag back sharply as he edged it back on to his stumps.
Evin Lewis motored on to his maiden century with 100 off 91 balls with 12 fours and a solitary 6.
Shai Hope and Jonathan Carter, both batsmen accounted for good fielding as Nuwan Pradeep and Upual Tharanga ran them out respectively for 25 and 6 runs. Hope nudged the ball down between deep midwicket and long-on. Pradeep, fielding deep hit the stumps directly as Hope was run out by a huge distance. The second run out came about when Upul Tharanga fired a direct throw from mid-on to dismiss Jonathan Carter by a surprisingly big distance as the score read 198 in 32.2 overs.
Rovman Powell followed soon as Nuwan Kulasekara struck the middle order batsman plumb in front for 10 runs off 13 balls as the target seems to be getting stiff with every wicket falling.
Evin Lewis’s magnificent innings came to a rather disappointing end as he was on the wrong end of a mix up between him and Captain Jason Holder.
Carlos Brathwaite was dismissed for 19 after a few lusty blows by the all-rounder. Ashley Nurse followed suit as he lasted just 3 balls for 2 runs as he was caught behind off the bowling of Suranga Lakmal.
Sulieman Benn came out to bat with West Indies needing 18 runs for victory. Sulieman Ben missed a few deliveries before smashing a six and a four and then was caught out at deep cover with a solitary ball remaining and West Indies needing 3 runs off it.
Nuwan Pradeep held his nerve and nailed a middle-stump yorker to concede just a single and hand Sri Lanka a 1 run win and with it a birth in the final.
West Indies will meet hosts Zimbabwe in a virtual semi-final with the winner meeting Sri Lanka in the final.
