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October 14, 2024
Player of the Match Brandon King 63 off 33 and Evin Lewis 50 off 28 power West Indies to 5-wicket win over Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Cricket

By Srian Obeyesekere

Powerful half-centuries by openers Brandon King 63 off 33 balls loaded with 11 boundaries and a six, and Evin Lewis 50 off 28 with 5 boundaries and a six in a 107-run first wicket onslaught gave West Indies an emphatic 5-wicket win despite a compatible 179 by Sri Lanka who, opting to bat first on winning the toss, paid the price of let-down batting by its top order three bar half centuries by middle order Kamindu Mendis and skipper Charith Asalanka, and erratic bowling in the opening T20 last night at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium.

The West Indies made light of their chase by the box seat start ignited by King and Lewis that put the Lankans out of the game as they smote the Lankan attack at will. They did lose three wickets in the space of 15 balls as it fell on Sri Lanka’s main ace Kamindu Mendis to make the breakthrough sending back King who was held by Chamindu Wickramasinghe. Fourteen runs later Matheesha Pathirana sent back Lewis again Wickramasinghe taking his second catch as the Lankans saw the backs of their early tormentors who drove home West Indies boasted of a run hungry batting machine.

The 29-year old right-handed King’s effort derived from a depth of into his 38th ODI counting 1054 runs with two hundreds and 6 fifties with a strike rate of 84.05 while the 32-year old left-hander Evein Lewis’ impact was reflected by 2 centuries and 11 fifties from 54 outings for an overall 1515 runs with strike rate of 82.97. 

Skipper Rovman Powell took his side to within sight of victory of 160 scoring 13 off 10 with a boundary before falling to Maheesh Theekshana who had him caught by Wanindu Hasaranga. They lost a fifth wicket that of Roston Chase caught behind by Kusal Mendis off Pathirana with the score 167 after 16.1 overs. The sixth-wicket pair of Sherfane Rutherford 14 off 12 with a boundary strike and Romario Shepherd 1 carried the West Indies through o taking a 1-0 lead in the 3-mtch series.

The throwback to Sri Lanka’s loss centered around the failures of upfront openers Pathum Nissanka for 11 caught behind by Shai Hope and Kusal Mendis bowled by Gudakesh Motie for 19 and Kusal Janith Perera bowled by Shamar Joseph for 6 which put the onus on Kamindu Mendis 51 off 40 with 5 boundaries and two laced over the top, and Charith Asalanka 59 off 395 paked with 9 boundaries, in who added a resurrecting 82 for the fourth wicket in taking the score to 140 when Mendis was snapped up by Roston Chase off Shamar Springer. Asalanka was fifth out with the score on 163  caught by Lewis off Alzarri Joseph. Next in Bhanuka Rajapaksa hit 17 off 11 with a six and boundary apiece before being taken out by Shepherd with Sri Lanka on 171 for 6 with four balls left to the innings that left newcomer Chamindu Wickramasinghe whose one  boundary facing 3 deliveries left a question mark that he was stranded by been sent in too late as much as Bhanuka Rajapaksa that left the Sri Lankan think tanks to ponder whether they should be be better used by pushing them order in the face of continued failure by the tried and trusted in the frontline.

West Indies 180 for 5 (Brandon King 63, Evin Lewis 50, Matheesha Pathirana 2/27) beat Sri Lanka 179 for 7 (Charith Asalanka 59, Kamindu Mendis 51, Romario Shepherd 2/39) by five wickets

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