Sri Lanka vs West Indies Archives

Asalanka steers Sri Lanka to series-clinching victory over West Indies

Skipper Charith Asalanka struck an unbeaten half-century as Sri Lanka defeated the West Indies by five wickets in the second one-day international on Wednesday to clinch the three-match series.

Chasing a tricky 190, Sri Lanka reached the target with 34 balls to spare at the Pallekele stadium, with Asalanka making an unbeaten 62 off 61 balls.

The match was reduced to 44-overs a side after the start was delayed by two hours because of rain.

Sri Lanka lost two early wickets but they were rescued by a third-wicket stand of 62 between Nishan Madushka (38) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (38).

Asalanka then saw the team through with his doughty knock that included one six and seven fours.

He also brought up his 14th ODI half-century in the process and shared a stand of 55 with Janith Liyanage (24) for the fifth wicket.

This was Asalanka’s second consecutive half-century, following his match-winning 77 in the first ODI.

The victory secured a 2-0 series win for the hosts, having won the opening game by five wickets on Sunday.

This was also the fifth successive bilateral ODI series win for Sri Lanka this year and the tenth consecutive home series victory.

“I am happy to score some runs and help the team win,” said Asalanka.

“It’s been a dream run for us in the last couple of months. We want to keep winning.”

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The third and final match between Sri Lanka and West Indies will be played at the same venue on Saturday.

“The series is lost but hopefully we can salvage some pride,” said West Indies captain Shai Hope.

“Our spinners need to take a leaf out of the Sri Lankan spinners’ books.”

Earlier, Sherfane Rutherford (80) shared a record 119-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Gudakesh Motie (50 not out) to lift West Indies from a precarious 58-8 after they were put into bat in overcast conditions.

This was the highest ninth-wicket partnership for West Indies in one-day internationals, eclipsing the 85-run stand between Yannic Cariah and Alzarri Joseph against New Zealand in Barbados in 2022.

Rutherford, dropped twice on 23 and 72, hit four sixes and seven fours in his 82-ball knock for his second successive half-century of the series and his career-best ODI innings.

Motie’s maiden ODI half-century included six fours before the visitors were bowled out in the 36th over.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga claimed 4-40 on a pitch that offered variable bounce and turn.

Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana, a late inclusion in the squad, was named player of the match for his crucial breakthroughs and a haul of 3/25.

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Dominant Sri Lanka thump West Indies in CWC Qualifier

HARARE: Maheesh Theekshana’s astonishing figures of 4/34, followed by Pathum Nissanka’s century powered Sri Lanka to crush West Indies by eight wickets in the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier.

Set to chase a modest 244-run target, Pathum Nissanka’s anchoring century knock paved the way for Sri Lanka to complete the pursuit for the loss of just two wickets with 34 balls to spare.

Sri Lankan openers Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne scripted a solid start to the run chase with a sensible 193-run partnership which lasted with the latter’s dismissal in the 34th over.

Nissanka struck 14 boundaries on his way to a 113-ball 104.

Karunaratne soon followed his opening partner’s footsteps in the 37th over when he also walked back to the pavilion when Sri Lanka needed 40 more runs.

He scored 83 off 92 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries.

With both openers back in the pavilion, wicketkeeper batter Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama made sure there were no more hiccups in the run chase and put on an unbeaten partnership.

Mendis scored 34 not out off 43 deliveries, hitting three boundaries while Samarawickrama scored an unbeaten 17.

Kevin Sinclair and Akeal Hosein could pick a wicket apiece for West Indies.

Put into bat first in their last CWC Qualifier fixture, the West Indies batting lineup once again faltered and thus the two-time champions, already knocked out of the World Cup qualification race, could only pile 243 runs on the scoreboard.

The Caribbean side after a cautious start, kept losing wickets at an alarming rate before eventually bowling out for a meagre total.

Their partnership came for the ninth wicket when Keacy Carty and Kevin Sinclair added 63 runs to the total.

Carty waged a lone battle for West Indies amid their dismal show with the bat with a gutsy 87-run knock from 96 deliveries, hitting six boundaries and a six.

Opening batter Johnson Charles (39), Romario Shepherd (25) and Sinclair (25) were the other significant contributor for the West Indies.

Maheesh Theekshana spearheaded Sri Lanka’s bowling attack with 4/35, followed by debutant Dushan Hemantha’s 2/49.

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Sri Lanka top Group D, qualify for the Quarterfinals in ICC U19 World Cup

BASSETERRE: Sri Lankan batter – Sadisha Rajapaksa scored 76 as Sri Lanka defeated West Indies by three wickets; topping the Group D and qualifying for the ICC Under 19 World Cup.

In the 19th match of the ongoing U19 World Cup, Sri Lankan batters showed combined batting effort to chase down the total in the 49th over with three wickets in hand.

The Lions, despite a poor start, held on their nerves to seal the victory. Anjala Bandara scored 40, followed by Rajapaksa, who top-scored with 76; facing 115 deliveries and smashing five boundaries.

The rest of the Sri Lankan batters also chipped in with the valuable contributions to drive the side to the victory.

For West Indies, McKenny Clarke and Isai Thorne bagged two wickets each, while Giovonte Depeiza, Shiva Sankar, and Nathan Edwards struck out a batter each.

Batting first, the hosts struggled to post a defendable total following a flop batting display and despite their middle-order batters’ contribution, the side managed to post 250/9 in the 50 overs. Kevin Wickham top-scored with 56, while Jordan Johnson scored 47.

For Sri Lanka, Dunith Wellalage bagged three wickets, while Matheesha Pathirana claimed two. Treveen Mathew, on the other hand, made one scalp.

In another match of the U19 World Cup, South Africa sealed a thumping victory over Ireland, defeating the latter by a massive margin of 153 runs.

Batting first, South African batters Dewald Brevis and George Van Heerden batted brilliantly to guide the Proteas to 315/7 in the allotted 50 overs. Brevis fell unlucky missing his well-deserved century by just four runs; scoring 96, while Heerden went on to smash a magnificent century. Heerden top-scored with 111 on just 93 balls, laced with three boundaries and eight sixes.

Michael Copeland’s late onslaught, in the end, boosted the side to 315/7; setting a 316-runs target for Ireland.

Set to chase 316, the Irish batting line-up failed completely and could only score 158, in response to South Africa’s 315. Nathan McGuire fought hard with his 42, but, could not manage to steer his side to victory.

For South Africa, Matthew Boast and Liam Alder bagged three wickets each, while Andile Simelane and Ashake Tsaka picked two wickets each.

READ: South Africa crush India by seven wickets to clinch the series

Lasith, Ramesh wreak havoc as Sri Lanka thrash West Indies

GALLE: Sri Lankan spinners Lasith Embuldeniya and Ramesh Mendis pounced on the West Indian batting line-up, each claiming ﬁve-wicket hauls as Sri Lanka thumped West Indies in the second match, here on Friday.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Lasith resumed the proceedings for the side on 328/8 on the final day of the second test. Both batters looked solid, riding on the previous day’s momentum, but they could only add 17 runs to the team’s total before Lasith was castled on a gritty 39 by Jason Holder. The Lions declared their innings on 345/9, setting the Carribeans a target of 297.

Veerasammy Permaul was the standout bowler for the Caribbeans, taking three wickets. Roston Chase claimed two wickets, while Kraigg Brathwaite and Holder each struck out one batter.

In response, West Indian openers Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood failed to get their team off to a good start. After being trapped in his legs by Mendis on 6, Brathwaite found himself walking back to the pavilion.

However, Blackwood and Nkrumah Bonner looked promising as both batters batted sensibly for their 50-run stand before Blackwood was dismissed on 36 Lasith. His wicket started the collapse, and the team started losing wickets at an alarming rate. Bonner, who was looking strong, also fell short when Lasith castled the batter on 44. In the second innings, he remained his team’s leading scorer. West Indies were eventually bowled out for 132, losing the match by 164 runs.

Lasith and Mendis were the Lions’ standout bowlers, both claiming fifer to dismiss the opposition on a low score.

With this victory, Sri Lanka maintained their lead in the ICC World Test Championship points table, with 24 points and a winning percentage of 100 percent as of December 3.

READ: Dhananjaya’s century puts Sri Lanka in control

Dhananjaya’s century puts Sri Lanka in control

GALLE: Sri Lankan middle-order batter, Dhananjaya de Silva scored a brilliant century on day-4 of their ongoing match against West Indies, here on Thursday.

Sri Lanka resumed with an overnight score of 46/2, led by batters Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka. The batters, however, struggled to add 27 runs to their overnight total before Asalanka was dismissed on 19 by Veerasammy Permaul.

The Lions appeared to be in trouble, but Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva batted sensibly and put on an important 78-run partnership before Nissanka was dismissed on a brave 66 by Roston Chase.

Dhananjaya, on the other hand, stood firm and kept the scoreboard ticking by himself, as no other batter stayed longer to contribute significantly to the team’s total. He scored a magnificent century to get his team out of trouble. He was the top scorer for the team, as the batter was not out on 153 at the time of the stumps.

On day 5, Lions’ batters Dhananjaya (153*) and Lasith Embuldeniya (25*) will resume the side’s proceedings. Sri Lanka currently holds a 279-run lead.

Permaul was the standout bowler for the Caribbeans, taking three wickets. Chase claimed two wickets, while Kraigg Brathwaite struck out one batter.

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Ramesh Mendis takes fifer to keep Sri Lanka in the hunt

GALLE: Sri Lankan spinners fired back at West Indian batting line-up on day 3 of the second test match here on Wednesday, dismissing them for 253.

West Indies resumed at an overnight score of 69/1, with their batters Kraigg Brathwaite and Nkrumah Bonner adding 68 runs to their team’s total before Bonner was dismissed on 35 by Mendis. Brathwaite also fell relatively soon as the batter was dismissed on 72 by Lasith Embuldeniya when there were 166 runs on the board.

Shai Hope and Roston Chase intended to keep things under control, but failed when Mendis sent Chase back to the pavilion on 10. Soon after, Hope was also dismissed on 22, as Mendis trapped the batter in the legs.

Kyle Mayers, on the other hand, fought back and scored a valiant 36 not out. However, wickets were falling at an alarming rate, and the team was eventually dismissed for 253. Brathwaite was the team’s top scorer.

Mendis was the Lions’ standout performer, claiming a five-wicket haul, taking six wickets and initiating the collapse. Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama, on the other hand, were both extremely clinical, dismissing two batters each.

Sri Lankan batters, in reply, looked promising but could not get going as two run-outs halted them from a good start. The two batters who lost their wickets after being run-out were skipper Dimuth Karunaratne (6) and Oshada Fernando (14). The Lions’ first two wickets were taken for 39 runs. Pathum Nissanka (21*) and Charith Asalanka (1*) will resume their innings on day four.

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T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka hand 20-run defeat to West Indies

Sri Lanka clinched a 20-run victory over West Indies in their T20 World Cup group stage fixture in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Kieron Pollard’s side, chasing a 190-run target, were restricted to 168-8 in their 20 overs.

Shimron Hetmyer top-scored with his unbeaten knock of 81 from 54 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries and four sixes. However, it was not enough for the side to get over the line.

Wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran hit six boundaries and a six on his way to 34-ball 46.

Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka had scored half-centuries as Sri Lanka made 189-3.

Asalanka top-scored with 68 from 41 deliveries with the help of eight fours and a six while Nissanka made hit five boundaries on his way to 41-ball 51.

Andre Russell took two wickets for his side while Dwayne Bravo dismissed a batter as well.

SQUADS

SRI LANKA: Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando

WEST INDIES: Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Roston Chase, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard (capt), Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul