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COLOMBO, Dec 19: Sanath Jayasuriya guided Sri Lanka to a 34-run victory over the West Indies with a superb all-round performance in the day-night triangular cricket series final here Wednesday.
Skipper Jayasuriya, adjudged both Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series, scored a brisk 64 to help his team post a challenging 253-8 after electing to bat on a slow pitch.
He then grabbed two vital wickets with his left-arm spin to restrict the West Indies, chasing a revised target of 247 off 47 overs due to rain, to 212-7 after a 111-run stand between openers Chris Gayle (60) and Daren Ganga (50).
The West Indies lost their way under lights after a solid start as the asking-rate climbed to over six an over after the dismissals of Gayle and Ganga in the space of three overs and six runs.
Jayasuriya kept the pressure on the tourists after off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena provided a breakthrough with Ganga’s wicket, who stepped out to try a big shot, missed the line and was bowled.
The Sri Lankan skipper then dismissed Gayle, who drove uppishly to Upul Chandana at backward point after hitting eight fours in his 87-ball knock. His second victim was Ramnaresh Sarwan, caught behind for five.
The tourists got off to a flying start, with Gayle and Ganga plundering 17 in left-arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa’s opening over and then giving a scare or two to the hosts during their partnership.
Ganga, outscored in the initial stages, matched his partner in middle overs as he hoisted Dharmasena over long-on for a six and then driving straight for a four.
None of the remaining batsmen, however, could capitalise on the fine start as the Sri Lankan spinners, led by Jayasuriya, tightened their grip on the match with their disciplined spells.
Dharmasena finished with 3-44 off 10 overs, while off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took 1-43.
Jayasuriya, who struck one six and nine fours in his 85-ball knock, was well supported by Mahela Jayawardena who scored 63 to drive home the advantage given by his captain early in the innings.
Jayawardena, a consistent run-getter, hit five fours in his 65-ball knock before becoming one of three run-out victims in the last four overs while going for quick runs.
West Indies captain Carl Hooper was the most impressive bowler, containing runs with his tidy off-spin to finish with 2-32 off 10 overs.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA:
S.T. Jayasuriya c Hinds b Hooper 64
D.A. Gunawardena c and b Hooper 15
M.S. Atapattu run out 38
D.P.M. Jayawardena run out 63
R.P. Arnold b Collins 0
K. Sangakkara c Samuels b Brown 23
U.D.U. Chandana run out 5
W.P.U.J.C. Vaas run out 1
H.D.P.K. Dharmasena not out 7
M. Muralitharan not out 13
EXTRAS (LB-5, W-15, NB-4) 24
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 253
FALL OF WKTS: 1-53, 2-114, 3-154, 4-155, 5-213, 6-229, 7-232, 8-232.
DID NOT BAT: D.N.T. Zoysa.
BOWLING: Collins 10-0-41-1 (1w); Collymore 9-0-48-0 (2nb, 2w); Hooper 10-1-32-2 (7w); Brown 10-0-72-1 (2nb, 2w); Gayle 10-0-48-0 (3w); Samuels 1-0-7-0.
WEST INDIES:
D. Ganga b Dharmasena 50
C.H. Gayle c Chandana b J’suriya 60
R.R. Sarwan c Sangakkara b J’suriya 5
C.L. Hooper c Atapattu b D’sena 34
M.N. Samuels run out 13
R.L. Powell c Chandana b M’tharan 1
R.D. Jacobs st Sangakkara b D’sena 21
R.O. Hinds not out 15
D. Brown not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-8, W-4) 12
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 212
FALL OF WKTS: 1-111, 2-117, 3-124, 4-147, 5-150, 6-181, 7-203.
DID NOT BAT: C.D. Collymore, P.T. Collins.
BOWLING: Vaas 7-1-23-0; Zoysa 6-2-36-0 (2w); Muralitharan 10-0-43-1; Dharmasena 10-1-44-3; Jayasuriya 9-0-41-2 (2w); Chandana 5-0-17-0.
RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 34 runs after West Indies were set a revised target of 247 off 47 overs.
UMPIRES: P.T. Manuel and T.H. Wijewardena.
TV UMPIRE: M.G. Silva.
MATCH REFEREE: R. Subba Row (England).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sanath Jayasuriya.
MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Sanath Jayasuriya.—AFP/Reuters
