Sri Lanka's spinners overwhelm West Indies to reach T20 series | sport

DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (CMC):

DEBUTANT DUNITH Wellalage led an impressive bowling performance from Sri Lanka spinners in an absolutely dominant 73-run win over the West Indies in the second T20 international at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium yesterday.

As the West Indies chased Sri Lanka's challenging 162 for five from 20 overs, the 21-year-old left-arm spinner grabbed three of the nine wickets that fell to the spin as the home team bowled out the visitors for 89, their sixth-worst haul. All-time T20I score and lowest total score against them.

The result ended in a 1-1 draw in the three-game series, with the decider scheduled to be played at the same venue on Thursday.

Wellalage and the six other spinners once again showed the West Indies' weakness to spin bowling on a slow track that offered turns and bounce, with only three of their batters reaching double figures.

Unlike the previous game where they scored 74 runs in the powerplay, West Indies openers Evin Lewis and Brandon King struggled to get the ball off the pitch.

Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana's first over lasted just two runs, but both Lewis and King hit pacer Nuwan Thosehara for boundaries in the second over of the innings.

It was the only over of Sri Lanka's innings not bowled by a spinner.

Wellalage struck in his first over and in the third innings when he lured a frustrated King to come down the track, only to be beaten by a short, spinning delivery that gave wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis a slight blow, leaving the Windies 12th stayed alone.

Theekshana then dropped Lewis in the next over, trapping him LBW in seven after missing his intended swing. Three runs later, Wellalage had Roston Chase caught at first slip for a duck as the visitors slipped to 17 for three.

With five runs added, Andre Fletcher, playing in place of Shai Hope, managed just four runs from 11 balls before firing an intended sweep shot for Kamindu Mendis to take the catch-running back from slip and Wellalage his third wicket to give.

And when Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka bowled openers Gudakesh Motie and Sherfane Rutherford within three balls to restrict the West Indies to 39 for six in the tenth over, the result was effectively decided.

Not remotely close

West Indies captain Rovman Powell hit a six and a four in his top score of 20 runs in 17 balls and Alzarri Joseph, who made 16, also smashed a few boundaries but it would never be enough to come close to them to reach their limits.

Wellalage was the pick of the bowlers with 3-9 from his four overs, while Asalanka (2-6), Theekshana (2-7) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2-32) provided good support.

Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a solid start with their opening pair of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis contributing 77 not out.

While spinner Gudakesh Motie executed the turn and bounce off the pitch, the duo targeted the pacers, with Nissanka Shamar hitting Joseph for five boundaries in the fourth over of the innings, resulting in 25 runs.

Joseph's three overs cost 35, Alzarri Joseph's four overs cost 33 while Shamar Springer lost 24 from his two.

However, Springer finally made the breakthrough when he caught Mendis at long-on for 26 and Shamar Joseph caught Kusal Perera lbw for 24 as Sri Lanka struggled to 111 for two in the 14th over.

Soon after, player of the match Nissanka increased his half-century from 47 balls when he guided Alzarri Joseph to backward point for a single, but after adding four more, he was undone by a quick yorker from the same bowler.

In total, he hit 49 balls and hit nine fours and one six.

Despite not having an explosive end to their innings, Sri Lanka still managed to score 20 in the last two overs to reach their final total.