April 14, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1429

PORT-OF-SPAIN (Trinidad), April 13: Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels hit unbeaten half centuries to pilot West Indies to a series-clinching seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the rain-shortened second One-day International at Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday.

Veteran Chanderpaul, hero of the opening match win, struck 52 not out off 42 balls and shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 107 off 88 balls with Samuels.

The West Indies, chasing a revised target of 125 off 25 overs, reached the mark with 4.3 overs to spare.

Samuels returned to form with an undefeated 54 off 49 deliveries. The right-hander hit three sixes and three fours.

The pair rescued the home team from 18 for three in the sixth over as Nuwan Kulasekara (three for 28) sliced through the top order.

Sri Lanka had earlier limped to 112 for five off 30.3 overs either side of an hour-long rain delay. Upul Tharanga top scored with 40 off 81 balls but the visitors were stalled by the rain at 83 for two off 24.1 overs.

On resumption, Sri Lanka lost three quick wickets before heavy rain returned and caused a delay of almost four hours.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (maximum 31 overs)

U. Tharanga c Taylor b Bravo 40

M. Udawatte c Chattergoon b Taylor 14

K. Sangakkara c Sarwan b Gayle 28

K. Weeraratne c Bravo b Sammy 15

M. Jayawardene not out 4

C. Silva b Gayle 2

EXTRAS (lb8, w1) 9

TOTAL (5 wkts, 30.3 overs) 112

FALL OF WKTS: 1-38 (Udawatte, 8.3 overs); 2-78 (Tharanga, 22.3); 3-105 (Sangakkara, 28.3); 4-109 (Weeraratne, 29.2); 5-112 (Silva, 30.3)

DID NOT BAT: C. Kapugedera, T. Dilshan, C. Vaas, N. Kulasekera, A. Mendis.

BOWLING: Taylor 6-2-10-1; Edwards 5-0-26-0 (w1); Powell 7-0-21-0; Bravo 6-0-16-1; Sammy 5-0-25-2; Gayle 1.3-0-6-2.

WEST INDIES

C. Gayle c Weeraratne b Kulasekera 11

D. Bravo b Kulasekera 2

R. Sarwan lbw b Kulasekera 1

S. Chanderpaul not out 52

M. Samuels not out 54

EXTRAS (lb3, w2) 5

TOTAL (3 wkts, 20.3 overs) 125

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10 (Bravo, 3.3 overs); 2-15 (Gayle, 5.1); 3-18 (Sarwan, 5.5)

DID NOT BAT: S. Chattergoon, D. Ramdin, D. Sammy, J. Taylor, D. Powell, F. Edwards.

BOWLING: Vaas 4-0-21-0; Kulasekera 5-0-28-3 (w1); Weeraratne 3-0-24-0; Mendis 4-0-21-0; Kapugedera 4-0-25-0 (w1); Dilshan 0.3-0-3-0.—Agencies