Sri Lankan spinners claimed world champions West Indies by 43 runs in the second Twenty20 International at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Friday. After losing by four wickets on Wednesday in the opening matches, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard hit six sixes in one over, the tourists successfully scored 160 runs on Friday to level the three-match series. West Indies were all out for 117 runs in the 19th over as Sri Lanka ended the eight-match losing streak in the T20. The final match is on Sunday at the same venue.
Leg-spinner Vanindu Hasranga finished with 3-17, off-break bowler Akila Dananjaya, who was the victim of Pollard’s midweek attack but also claimed a hat-trick, was 1-13.
Wrist spinner Lakhan Sandakan scored 3-10, including Pollard, who scored just 13.
“The wicket was a bit slow. I tried not to leave any boundaries. That is why I was able to bowl well,” Hasranga said of the post-match presentation.
The West Indies had fallen five wickets for just 21 runs before going 45–1.
Chris Gayle, who was dismissed for the first ball on Wednesday in his first appearance in two years, hit a 16-run inning when Ashen Bandara was caught off Hasanranga’s ball.
Opener Lendl Simmons (21) was out, lbw Hasranga failed to take a googly.
Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder and Dwayne Bravo all followed quickly for a single figure score.
Dananjaya had earlier dismissed opener Evin Lewis for six. His impressive figures of 1–13 contrasted with his 3-62 on Wednesday.
Hasranga added Fabian Allen to his list of victims with the West Indies by scoring just 23, then clashed 89–7 in the 16th over.
With more than 22 overs required, Sandakan got the big prize from Pollard, who caught in deep for just 13 and surprisingly opted to bat at number seven.
Sandakan then proved his team’s top scorer with a tail-ender, with a late cameo of 23 from Obeid McCoy with seven eggs.
Earlier, veteran all-rounder Bravo put a break on Sri Lanka in the form of two wickets and a run out.
Sri Lanka had a great start after winning the toss and deciding to bat.
Openers Danusha Gunathilaka and Pathum Nisanka scored 94 runs in the first 10 overs.
But then the 37-year-old Bravo was called into action and responded by dismissing Nisanka for 37 runs.
Gunathilaka chased down just four balls in the 11th over and caught Kevin Sinclair at mid-off off Bravo.
The Sri Lankan opener scored 56 runs and hit four fours and two sixes.
Bravo also claimed a third wicket fall when Simmons caught veteran Dinesh Chandimal for just three runs.
The runs then dried up for Sri Lanka.
Promoted
After hitting eight fours and three sixes in the first 10 overs, he hit only three more fours and a six in the second half of the innings.
It consisted of an eight-over stretch where the ball never crossed the boundary line.
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