WI clean sweeps ODI series against Sri Lanka with 5-wicket win

(ICC) A ton from Darren Bravo and half-centuries from Shai Hope and Kieron Pollard saw the West Indies take out the third ODI by five wickets.

Set a target of 275 to win, the West Indies got off to a shaky start in the chase, failing to post a hundred-run opening-stand for the first time this series.

Evin Lewis was the first man out, bowled for 13 by Suranga Lakmal (2/56) in the fifth over. The early wobble continued as Jason Mohammed was bowled for 8 by Wanindu Hasaranga (1/49).

Unfortunately for the Sri Lankans, a 109-run stand between Shai Hope and Darren Bravo put the hosts back on course from there.

Hope, coming off back-to-back 50+ scores, looked in good touch from the get-go, picking up his first boundary with a sumptuous drive back past Asitha Fernando (0/62) in the fourth over. He hit another in Fernando’s next over and when Bravo clobbered a six over mid-off off Thisara Perera (1/27) in the 13^th it became clear Sri Lanka needed to find a way past these two men.

Despite a six from Hope off Danushka Gunathilaka (1/28) in the 20^th over, the West Indies were behind the rate going into the final 30 overs at 79/2. A 12-run over in the 21^st helped the hosts as Bravo hit Hasaranga for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries, before a 16-run over in the 24^th, featuring sixes from both batsmen, took them past 100.

Hope brought up his half-century – his sixth consecutive 50+ score in ODIs – in the 30^th over and the century-stand for the West Indies’ third wicket was raised in the following over.

At 148/2 the West Indies were cruising but the fall of Hope for 64 to Perera opened the door for Sri Lanka.

Nicholas Pooran blasted a quickfire 15 off 8, including two sixes, before perishing to Gunathilaka in the 35^th.

With the West Indies needing 106 runs off the final 15 overs, the match was in the balance.

Pollard (53*) and Bravo took it away from Sri Lanka from there. Pollard helped himself to three consecutive fours off Lakmal in the 37^th over to relieve the scoreboard pressure and Bravo started to up his run-rate.

He slammed Lakshan Sandakan over long-off for six in the 38^th before tickling Hasaranga down the legside for four in the 43^rd to move into the 90s. In the 45^th he raised his fourth ODI century with another clip past fine leg. He perished in the 47^th over to Lakmal, caught brilliantly by a leaping Karunaratne at extra cover for 102.

An unbeaten 53 from Pollard in the company of Jason Holder (14*) saw the West Indies home from there.

Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a total of 274/6 thanks largely to half-centuries from Ashen Bandara (55*) and Hasaranga (80*).

Gunathilaka and captain Karunaratne laid a solid platform for the Sri Lankans, putting on 68 runs for the opening stand. The promising start was ended by Alzarri Joseph (1/51) in the 14^th over, who removed Gunathilaka (36) with a short ball that took the edge before ricocheting off the Sri Lankan’s helmet to point.

In the very next over Karunaratne perished, bowled by Mohammed (1/49) attempting a slog sweep.

There was a steady flow of wickets from there as Akeal Hosein (3/33) ran through Sri Lanka’s middle-order. The left-arm finger-spinner trapped Pathum Nissanka (24) in front in the 21^st over and went on to bowl Dinesh Chandimal (16) and Dasun Shanaka (22). When Perera (3) was run out by a direct hit from Pooran, the Sri Lankans were in serious trouble at 151/6 in the 32^nd over.

From there, Bandara and Hasaranga rebuilt Sri Lanka’s innings. It was slow going at first but Hasaranga started to free up his arms in the 38^th over, helping himself to back-to-back boundaries off seamer Anderson Phillip (0/43). In the 40^th he hit his first six, slogging Fabian Allen (0/43) high over mid-wicket.

The Sri Lankans went into their final 10 overs on 185/6 and plundered 89 runs in a fast finish. Hasaranga was at the heart of it, smashing Mohammed into the sightscreen for six in the 45^th over before Bandara did the same to Allen in the 46^th.

It was in the 49^th over that things really got going as Bandara picked up back-to-back boundaries off Joseph to bring up his half-century before Hasaranga hit another in the same over to raise the hundred-run stand.

On strike for the final five balls of the innings, Hasaranga finished things with a bang, hitting three fours in a row off Holder (0/53) before pulling a short ball for six over mid-wicket. A single off the final ball took him to an unbeaten 80 off 60 balls – seven runs better than the next highest by a Sri Lankan No.8 in an ODI.

It was enough to give Sri Lanka a competitive total but enough for victory.