Windies snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
In an unbelievable turn of events, Shivnarine Chanderpaul made the
impossible, possible by helping West Indies to snatch victory from the
jaws of defeat and steer them to a one-wicket victory.
The first Digicel one-day international was nicely poised for a Sri
Lanka victory when the last pair of Chanderpaul and Fidel Edwards had to
make 13 runs in the final six balls.
This is how they went: After making three runs in four balls, facing
was Chanderpaul with Chamida Vaas the bowler.
Two balls and 10 needed. Chanderpaul drove the fifth ball for four
past mid off and then when the spectators were on the edge of their
seats, many of them probably missing a few heartbeats, the unbelievable
happened.
A deep set field and Vaas ran up and delivered, what he meant was a
yorker. But Chanderpaul used his tremendous experience to turn it into a
full toss and send it searing over mid wicket for six and all hell break
loose.
In the words of that Jim Reeves perennial - Memories are made of
this. Chanderpaul who was instrumental in taking the Windies to victory
in the Second Test with Ronnie Sarwan was unbeaten on 62 with 5 fours
and a six in 105 balls. That he did not get the man of the match award
was a travesty of justice.
It went Dwaynne Bravo who took 4 for 32 and made a breezy 36 in 37
balls with 4 fours and a six. It was his best figures in the one-day
game.
In reply to Sri Lanka’s 235 in 50 overs, the West Indies made 236 for
9 in 50 overs.
Chris Gayle the home team skipper won the toss and asked the Lankans
in, in conditions that were overcast and ideal for seam and swing
bowling.
Fastmen Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Dwaynne Bravo had the
Lankans tottering at 49 for 5 and it looked as the game would end early.
It was then that Chamara Silva and Chamara Kapugedara joined forces
to star in a record stand of 159 for the sixth wicket and put the
Lankans back into the game.
It was an intelligently constructed stand, with Kapugedera
unfortunate to miss out on what would have been his first three figure
score in one-day internationals. He hooked, drove and pulled with superb
timing and his three sixes were shots to behold. He also hit 7 fours in
his 95 that came of 117 balls.
Silva again played sensibly to make 67 with 7 fours in 96 balls.
Their stand of 159 came in 189 balls.
The rescue act by Silva and Kapugedera came after Mahela Udawatte
went for a duck unable to bring his bat down on a toe crushing yorker
from Edwards. He was making his international debut.
Then Kumar Sangakkara went for 23, Upul Tharanga for 10, Mahela
Jayawardena for one and Tillekeratne Dilshan for 2 and the Lankans were
5 for 49.
When the Windies replied they were given a sound start by Gayle 52
and Smith who put on 53 for the first wicket. Then when wickets kept
falling all around him, Chanderpaul kept his head and cool to steer the
Windies to one of the most exciting and heart stopping victories.
When the Lankans bowled it was amazing to watch the other debutante
Ajantha Mendis bowl.
He was mixing his repertoire of thwackers very cleverly which had all
of the batsmen confused, unable to read which way he was going. Critics
here were coupling him with mystery spinners of an era gone by in Sonny
Ramadin and Jhonny Gleeson.
His figures of 3 for 39 in 10 was great reward. He has a bright
future and it is hoped that he would be given continuity.
Nuwan Kulasekera too bowled well within himself to return figures of
3 for 43. It was just one of those things that victory eluded the
Lankans. One hopes that they would not press the panic button, but play
the same team in the Second one-day international also at the same venue
today.
SCORECARD
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga b Bravo 10
M. Udawatte b Edwards 00
K. Sangakkara c Bravo b Taylor 23
M. Jayawardene c Chanderpaul b Bravo 01
C. Silva c Gayle b Bravo 67
T. Dilshan c Browne b Bravo 02
C. Kapugedera lbw b Edwards 95
C. Vaas not out 10
N. Kulasekera not out 01
EXTRAS (lb16, w10) 26
TOTAL (7 wkts) 235
Overs: 50
DID NOT BAT: A. Mendis, I. Amerasinghe
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2 (Udawatte, 1.3 overs); 2-38 (Sangakkara, 9.1);
3-40 (Tharanga, 10.4); 4-41 (Jayawardene, 12.3); 5-49 (Dilshan, 14.5);
6-208 (Silva, 46.2); 7-234 (Kapugedera, 49.5).
BOWLING: Taylor 10-1-39-1; Edwards 10-0-57-2 (w8); Bravo 10-1-33-4 (w1);
Sammy 10-1-38-0 (w1); Benn 9-0-46-0; Gayle 1-0-6-0.
WEST INDIES
C. Gayle lbw b Mendis 52
D.S. Smith lbw b Kulasekera 14
R. Sarwan c wkpr Sangakkara b Kulasekera 35
M. Samuels lbw b Kulasekera 00
S. Chanderpaul not out 62
D. Bravo run out (Jayawardene) 36
P. Browne c Mendis b Dilshan 15
D. Sammy b Mendis 01
J. Taylor c Silva b Mendis 09
F. Edwards not out 02
EXTRAS (lb1, w9) 10
TOTAL (9 wkts) 236
Overs: 50
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-53 (Smith, 13.3 overs); 2-109 (Gayle, 26.6);
3-109 (Sarwan, 27.3); 4-110 (Samuels, 27.6); 5-169 (Bravo, 38.1);
6-201 (Browne, 44.4); 7-203 (Sammy, 45.4); 8-219 (Taylor, 47.6);
9-219 (Benn, 48.5).
BOWLING: Vaas 10-4-30-0; Kulasekera 10-0-43-3; Amerasinghe 7-0-56-0;
Mendis 10-1-39-3; Kapugedera 7-0-41-0; Dilshan 6-0-26-1.
Series: West Indies lead three-match series 1-0.
Man-of-the-Match: Dwayne Bravo (West Indies). |