Sri Lanka end West Indies title defence with inspired win
Team Sri Lanka pulled off a consolation victory over defending champions West Indies 20 runs to conclude their ICC T20 World Cup campaign on a winning note at the Abu Dhabi Cricket stadium yesterday.
Chasing a formidable total of 189 runs, the score board exerted pressure on the West Indian players, even though they looked pretty determined to win the match at one time, but failed to make an impact due to a well-executed strategy by the Sri Lankans. Full credit should go to the Lankan batters who were pumped up for the big occasion and dished out a splendid performance to set a challenging total.
West Indies never looked comfortable and faced an early blow when their leading run getter in this format Chris Gayle continued his poor form departing for one run with the score on one. They lost two further wickets within a space of 46 runs. Evin Lewis went for 8 in the second over and Roston Chase for 9 in the sixth over.
Dashing left hander Nicholas Pooran eased the pressure with a quick fire 46 off 34 balls with the assistance of six fours and a six before he fell in the 12th over with the total on 77 runs. After an addition of 22 runs to the score, Andre Russell (2) fell when the score was 94 runs. Their much anticipated skipper Kieron Pollard was foxed by a Wanindu Hasaranga delivery for a duck with the addition of 13 runs to the total. Then the wickets fell at regular intervals and they were finally reeling at 169 runs for the loss of 8 wickets with Shimron Hetmeyer remained unbeaten 81 runs.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being put in to bat, Sri Lankan openers Kusal Janith Perera and Pathum Nissanka took lease of a placid track and put on 42 runs to lay a solid platform. Kusal (29) was middling the ball well but misread an Andre Russell delivery and offered a simple return catch.
The third wicket pair, the in-form Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka, steadied the inning with some scintillating stroke play maintaining over 8 runs an over, and was involved in a 91 run partnership for the second wicket.
Pathum was the first to depart when he was on 51 scored off 39 balls with four hits to the rope when the score was 133 runs in the 16 over.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka, who had promoted himself in the batting order joined Asalanka and the pair were engaged in a 46 runs alliance. Charith Asalanka who passed his individual milestone of 200 runs became the highest scorer of the tournament, and was later dismissed for 68 runs.
His swashbuckling 40 ball inning comprised one towering six and eight elegant boundaries. He was dismissed when the score was 179 in the 19 over. Skipper Dasun Shanaka remained undefeated on 25 with Chamika Karunaratne on 3 when their innings concluded for 189 runs at the end of their quota of overs.
Chief scores
Sri Lanka: 189/3 in 20 overs (Charith Asalanka 68, Pathum Nissanka 51, Kusal Perera 29, Dasun Shanaka 25*, Andre Russell 2/33, Dwayne Bravo 1/42)
West Indies: 169/8 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 81*, Nicholas Pooran 46, Binura Fernando 2/24, Chamika Karunaratne 2/43, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/19)