West Indies power way to five-wicket win

Kamindu Mendis celebrates his 50

Charith Asalanka, who top scored with 59, hits a boundary

Openers Evan Lewis and Brandon King got West Indies off to a flier, posting 107 off 58 balls

• Take 1-0 lead in three-match T20I series

Sa’adi Thawfeeq reporting from Dambulla

West Indies showed the full might of their powerplay hitting when openers Brandon King and Evin Lewis blasted 107 off 58 balls to help chase down a target of 180 to win the first T20I against Sri Lanka by five wickets, played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The win gave West Indies a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

There was no doubt that Sri Lanka lost the game in the powerplay, but they can take a lot of heart from their display, especially the bowlers, for bringing the game till the final over.

King started off scoring a few boundaries and made good use of his feet to notch a half-century off 25 balls (9 fours, 1 six), but it was Lewis who put the Lankan bowlers under pressure with lusty strikes for sixes that saw him reach his 50 off 27 balls (5 fours, 4 sixes). 

Once the stand was ended and both openers dismissed, Sri Lanka tried to pull things back as they kept chipping away at the wickets, but there was no denying West Indies the win for they were never under any pressure to take risky chances.

West Indies’ decision to invite Sri Lanka to bat first proved a good move when they picked up two early wickets inside the first powerplay for 27. But a fourth wicket stand of 82 off 54 balls between Kamindu Mendis and skipper Charith Asalanka formed the base of Sri Lanka’s innings that carried them to their final total of 179-7. Sri Lanka racked up 47 off the final five overs due to some sloppy ground fielding by West Indies.

Kamindu carried his Test form into the T20I format with a 50 off 40 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes) and Asalanka, who had only the previous weekend scored a double hundred at this venue leading Colombo to victory over Jaffna in the NSL Limited Over final, made a free-flowing 59 off 35 balls inclusive of nine fours. But Player of the Match King and Lewis outshone them.

The second T20I will be played at the same venue on Tuesday.