Sri Lanka pulls off a thriller; secures whitewash against W. Indies

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews (right) celebrates his team’s victory in the third one day international (ODI) cricket match between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on 1 March – AFP

By Shamseer Jaleel in Pallekele

Sri Lanka pulled off the third One Day International against West Indies by six runs in a thriller at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (PICS) last night. With this win hosts, Sri Lanka completed the white wash in the One day series by three games to nothing. 

Dhananjaya De Silva raises his bat to the crowd after scoring a half-century (50 runs) during the third one day international (ODI) cricket match between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on 1 March

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first on a batting paradise at Pallekele yesterday. Avishka Fernando and Dimuth Karunaratne put on 60 runs for the first wicket which was a good solid foundation for the home team. Later in the innings Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera put on a valuable 89 runs for the third wicket. Useful contribution came later on in the innings from another partnership between Dhanajaya de Silva and Thisara Perera. 

It’s very tough to keep ever-green Wanidu Hasaranga off action for too long as he hit a 6 and a 4 to take Sri Lanka well over 300 runs in their 50 overs. Sri Lanka scored a massive 88 runs in the last 10 overs due to poor line and length of the West Indies bowling which continued in tandem. West Indies once again bowled in waivered which allowed the hosts to pile up the runs easily. Further many of the deliveries were on to the pads.

West Indies started the big run chase very positively and aggressively scoring well over 5.50 an over, putting on 111 for the first wicket between Hope (72) and Ambris (60). Hope and new comer Pooran continued the good work by putting on another 60 valuable runs for the second wicket which set the game on chasing a huge score of over 300 runs. 

Skipper Polard (49) and Allen (37) a cameo innings of 37 in just 15 balls took Windies so close. In fact Allen hit three huge 6s plus two boundaries and looked threatening before losing his wicket too to Mathews in the run chase.

But it was the experience of Angelo Mathews who bowled his spell of 10 overs after nearly five years was the hero as he took Pooran, Polard, Holder and Allen’s wicket in his spell, ended with 4 for 59. West Indies in the end were so close yet so far as Sri Lanka held their nerves to beat them by 6 runs. 

Out of the three one day encounters between the two teams the first one in Colombo and third one in Kandy gone either way as the game was so closely fought out. Sri Lanka won the second one in Hambantota quite easily.   

Both teams will play in two T20 encounters at the same venue on 4 and 6 March. 

West Indies Sunil Ambris plays a shot during the third one day international (ODI) cricket match between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on 1 March – AFP