Sri Lanka weather the storm to beat Windies
Sri Lanka weathered a middle-order revival by the West Indies and
held on for a 39-run victory on the Duckworth/Lewis Scoring Method in a
rain-affected fifth match of the Tri-Nation Series at Queen's Park Oval
on Monday.
Kumar Sangakkara crafted a superb, unbeaten 90 to lift the visitors
to a competitive 219 for eight in a match forced into the reserve day
because of the elements and reduced to 41 overs-per-side.
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Captain Angelo Mathews (2nd-R) is
supported by teammates as he successfully appeals for a LBW
against West Indies batsman Devon Smith. AFP |
Half-centuries by Darren Bravo (70) and Lendl Simmons (67) then
threatened to take the home team to a revised target of 230 before a
sense of haste in the midst of light rain and the cooler heads of the
Sri Lankans saw the West Indies restricted to 190 for nine in reply.
While the result pushes Sri Lanka to the top of the standings ahead
of the Caribbean side by virtue of a better net run-rate, a victory for
India over Angelo Mathews' team in the final preliminary match on
Tuesday will result in the calculators again being deployed to determine
the qualifiers for Thursday's final.
Sangakkara claimed the Man-of-the-Match award for his excellent
innings, but Mathews also made vital contributions with bat and ball in
ensuring his side avenged the six-wicket defeat suffered at the hands of
the West Indies in the opening match of the tournament in Kingston ten
days earlier.
His 30 off 27 balls gave the innings important impetus towards the
end and figures of four for 29, including the vital scalp of Chris Gayle
at the start of the West Indies chase, proved critical in completing
victory.
Gayle's demise triggered a slide with the West Indies reduced to 31
for four and seemingly out of contention. However, Bravo found a solid
partner in Lendl Simmons, the man drafted into the team as a replacement
for suspended regular captain Dwayne Bravo.
After a pedestrian start, the pair accelerated impressively and were
lifting the West Indies to within reach of the target when a loss of
concentration tilted the balance decisively.
Conscious they were still behind on the D/L Method and concerned that
rain was about to return, the pair lost their focus and when Simmons
sliced a catch to deep cover off Shaminda Eranga, the second collapse of
the innings was in motion.
Five
wickets fell for 23 runs, leaving the last pair of Kemar Roach and Tino
Best to ensure that, while defeat could not be avoided, they at least
prevented the Sri Lankans claiming another bonus point.
Earlier, Roach was the most successful of the West Indies bowlers
with four for 27 amid Sri Lanka's late batting surge, an effort
masterminded by the experienced Sangakkara.
Staying focused on the task at hand, firstly with overnight partner
Lahiru Thirimanne and playing with his trademark fluency, Sangakkara
stepped up a gear, displaying a sense of adventure and taking
considerably more risks in capitalising on wayward and indisciplined
West Indies bowling. A total of 31 extras contributed generously towards
the Sri Lankan effort, a tally that included 24 wides and three
no-balls.
“We were all over the shop and you can't really set fields for bad
bowling. The number of extras conceded as well was totally
unacceptable,” was the frank admission of stand-in West Indies captain
Kieron Pollard after it was all over.
“Bravo and Simmons kept us in the game when we batted, but if we're
totally honest about it, we - myself included - haven't batted well as a
team in this tournament.” Sangakkara's 95-ball knock, his 76th
half-century in one-day international cricket, included one six and six
fours but was defined more by trademark timing, placement and a sensible
appreciation of the circumstances than the hell-for-leather hitting
usually associated with the final stages of a limited-over match.
“If you hang in there, it becomes much easier to score runs on a
pitch like,” he observed after receiving the Man of the Match award.
AFP
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