Windies clinch ODI series against Sri Lanka

North Point: A 192-run opening stand between Evin Lewis and Shai Hope and cool finishing by Nicholas Pooran steered the West Indies to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day cricket international.

The West Indies also earned a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Lewis made 103 and Hope 84 to set the strong foundation that allowed the West Indies to overtake Sri Lanka’s 273-8 with two balls to spare.

A middle order slump which saw the home side slip to 233-4 when captain Kieron Pollard was out in the 46th over put late pressure on the West Indies.
But Pooran made an unbeaten 35 from 38 balls to steer his team home in the final over in the West Indies’ highest successful ODI run chase against Sri Lanka.

Danushka Gunathilaka’s luck turned and his 96 from 96 balls led Sri Lanka’s recovery. Gunathilaka seemed to have been wronged when he was given out for obstructing the field in the first ODI which the West Indies won by eight wickets.

He batted superbly on Friday, re-establishing the Sri Lanka innings in a partnership of exactly 100 for the fourth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal, who made 71. A quick-fire innings of 47 from 31 balls by Winandu Hasaranga lifted Sri Lanka to a competitive total.

“In our batting, we lost a couple of wickets in the early part but we recovered,” Sri Lanka captain Dinush Karunaratne said.

“Unfortunately those two batsmen who got runs today couldn’t go on to a big one.”
The final ODI is at the same venue on Sunday.