After Narine’s triple strike, Mendis steers Sri Lanka home
COLOMBO: Late aggression by Ajantha Mendis saved the day for Sri Lanka in a dramatic One-day International clash on Sunday with West Indies suffering a onewicket defeat despite Sunil Narine rattling the Sri Lankans on his comeback.
The Caribbeans had lost both Tests in Sri Lanka and were beaten again at the R Premadasa Stadium in a match reduced to 26 overs per side due to rain in their first ODI since the Cricket World Cup.
Brisk knocks from Andre Russell (41 from 24 balls) and captain Jason Holder (36 off 13) as well as 38 from Darren Bravo ensured the tourists posted 159-8 after being put in to bat in Colombo, with Suranga Lakmal taking 3-15 from five overs.
Sri Lanka were set a revised Duckworth-Lewis target of 163 to win due to a rain delay of over four hours during the Windies’ innings and Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed 59 off 32 balls to set up what looked set to be a comfortable win.
Narine (3-21) then took three wickets in an over in his first international since last August to set up a tense finish, but fellow spinner Mendis (21 not out) upstaged him by hitting a huge six to secure a tense win with seven balls to spare.
Seamer Lakmal trapped Johnson Charles (1) leg before in the second over and soon got rid of Andre Fletcher (3) and Marlon Samuels (2) to put the Windies in the mire.
West Indies were struggling on 40-3 when the rain returned in the 15th over and it was left to Russell, who bludgeoned three sixes on the leg side, and Holder to ensure they made a game of it — with the skipper also clearing the ropes three times in a swashbuckling knock.
Veteran opener Dilshan then showed a combination of craft and sheer power as he clubbed three sixes and another six boundaries in a dazzling innings.
But Carlos Brathwaite (2-35) sent Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne — playing in his 100th ODI — on their way and Narine then stunned Sri Lanka with a triple strike in the 19th over to change the game.
Debutants Shehan Jayasuriya (0) and Danushka Gunathilaka (12) were both outfoxed by the spinner, who missed the World A. Fletcher c Dilshan b Lakmal 3 J. Charles lbw b Lakmal 1 D. Bravo b A. Mendis 38 M. Samuels lbw b Lakmal 2 J. Carter b Jayasuriya 8 A. Russell c Gunathilaka b Mathews 41 C. Brathwaite b A. Mendis 9 J. Holder run out (, K. Perera) 36 D. Ramdin not out 9 Extras (lb-3, w-9) 12 Total (for 8 wickets, 26 overs) 159 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-13, 3-24, 4-42, 5-100, 6-113, 7-130, 8-159 Bowling: L. Malinga 6-1-20-0 (w-1); S. Lakmal 5-0-15-3 (w-6); S. Senanayake 5-0-25-0; S. Jayasuriya 3-0-15-1; A. Mendis 4-0-46-2 (w-1); A. Mathews 3-0-35-1 (w-1) K. Perera run out (Carter) T. Dilshan c Ramdin b C. Brathwaite 14 59 Cup due to concerns over his bowling action and has remodelled his action.
Carter then took two wickets in as many balls to reduce Sri L. Thirimanne c Ramdin b C. Brathwaite 17 A. Mathews c Carter b Taylor 13 D. Gunathilaka b Narine 12 M. Siriwardana c C. Brathwaite b Narine 7 S. Jayasuriya b Narine 0 S. Senanayake b Carter 7 A. Mendis not out 21 L. Malinga lbw b Carter 0 S. Lakma not out 1 Extras (lb-3, nb-2, w-8) 13 Total (for 9 wickets, 24.5 overs) 164 Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-89, 3-104, 4-120, 5-132, 6-132, 7-133, 8-152, 9-152 Bowling: J. Taylor 5-0-32-1 (w-1); S. Narine 6-0-21-3 (w-1); J. Holder 5-1-29-0 (nb-1); C. Brathwaite 5-0-35-2 (w-4); A. Russell 0.50-18-0; J. Carter 2.1-0-14-2 (w-1); J. Charles 0.5-0-12-0 (nb-1, w-1) Umpire: Michael Gough, R. Palliyaguruge Match referee: David Boon Result: Sri Lanka won by 1 wicket Lanka to 152-9, but Mendis inflicted more misery on the Windies by hitting Charles for a towering six over wide long-on to win it in style.