Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 27, 2018 Sports
By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Carib Beer,
Noble House Seafoods, Vnet Communication’s
& Bounty Farm
On the back of an unfinished 63-run seventh wicket partnership between the unrelated Pereras; Dilruwan and Kusal, Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to beat the West Indies in Barbados when they triumphed by four wickets in the first session of the penultimate day of the historic Day/Night at the Kensington Oval yesterday.
Scores: Windies: (204 & 93): Sri Lanka (154 & 144/6).
After a wretched tour due to several off-the-field Issues, Sri Lanka finished off on a high with the series levelling win in the three-series.
After losing the first Test in Trinidad, rain and a Sri Lanka protest due to accusations of ball tampering wasted the entire first session of day three in St Lucia, let the Windies off the hook in the drawn game.
Sri Lanka, on their fifth tour to the West Indies, began yesterday with the low scoring game in the balance due to uncertainty of Kusal Perera batting.
Kusal had crashed into the advertisement board attempting a catch on Monday night and was taken by Ambulance to the Hospital in an unconscious state on Monday Night but demonstrated great courage and commitment to his team by opting to bat yesterday.
Sri Lanka resumed in bright sunshine on 81-5, needing another 63 to win and started in horrendous fashion when Kusal Mendis (25) was LBW in the first over without addition to the overnight score.
Mendis’ demise was crucial since he was seen as the man between Windies and victory but Dilruwan, who finished the on 23 from 63 balls with three fours and Kusal, whose 28 lasted 43 balls and included two boundaries, saw their team to 144-6 in 40.2 overs despite a brilliant Man-of-the-Match bowling performance from Skipper Jason Holder.
Holder, who made 71 in the Windies first innings, followed up his 4-19 in the first innings with 5-41 but although Shannon Gabriel bowled fast and finished the series with 20 scalps including 13 in St Lucia, he failed to take a wicket yesterday.
When Holder sent back Mendis he became only the third West Indies Captain to score a half century and claim a five-wicket haul in the same Test; the others being Sir Garfield Sobers and Denis Atkinson who both converted their fifties into hundreds.
Kusal, batting in pain, was hit on his body as he fended a short ball from Gabriel before he hit the lively pacer over cover for four, while Dilruwan was hit a nasty blow on his glove by Gabriel.
Dilruwan was not too keen to get behind the ball off Gabriel who was bowling at 148ks, but he stayed with the injured Kusal and saw the 100 posted.
The English tourists in the small turn out wanted to see an epic fight, while the handful of die-hard fans urged the Windies pacers on as Holder bowled his heart out and Gabriel tested the batsmen with lively short balls on a track which again produced disconcerting bounce.
But the Perera pair, despite taking a few body blows, inched Sri Lanka closer to victory as Miguel Cummins, the weakest of the Windies pace quartet, eased the pressure with wayward bowling when Holder surprisingly handed to ball to him.
An edge by Dilruwan off Kemar Roach rushed to the unprotected third man boundary and reduced the victory target to 15.
With 10 to get Devendra Bishoo was introduced and conceded four runs before Dilruwan ended the match 15:50hrs with a boundary over extra cover as Holder pitched up.
Scores: WEST INDIES 204 (Jason Holder 74, Shane Dowrich 71; Lahiru Kumara 4-58, Kasun Rajitha 3-68, Suranga Lakmal 2-52) and 93 (Kemar Roach 23 not out; Kasun Rajitha 3-20, Suranga Lakmal 3-25, Lahiru Kumara 2-31)
SRI LANKA 154 (Niroshan Dickwella 42, Danushka Gunathilaka 29, Kusal Mendis 22; Jason Holder 4-19, Shannon Gabriel 3-52, Kemar Roach 2-30) and 144 for six (Kusal Perera 28 not out, Kusal Mendis 25, Dilruwan Perera 23 not out, Danushka Gunathilaka 21; Jason Holder 5-41).
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