COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – Their own indisciplined batting and bowling combined with Upul Tharanga’s ninth One-day International hundred condemned West Indies to an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the rain-affected second ODI yesterday.
A little under three weeks before the World Cup, West Indies failed to ease worries about their batting, when they were dismissed for 203 from their allocation of 50 overs, after they were sent in to bat on another docile Singhalese Sports Club pitch.
Their bowlers also failed to inspire any confidence, and Thuranga stroked an undefeated 101 from 167 balls, as Sri Lanka comfortably chased down a victory target revised to 197 from 47 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method due to rain.
Mahela Jayawardene formalised the result with 27 balls remaining, when he cut a short, wide delivery from Nikita Miller over extra cover for the last of his five boundaries in 48 not out from 46 balls.
The result meant that Sri Lanka take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, after the first ODI ended in a no-result, when the hosts were unable to start their chase of a victory target of 246 because of rain.
A handful of batsmen got starts for West Indies, but their carelessness meant that no one carried on for a substantial innings to anchor the batting.
The Bravo brothers, Darren and Dwayne, led the way with 39 apiece, Carlton Baugh Jr was not out on 28, Chris Gayle scored 28, and Ramnaresh Sarwan made 21.
Bleach afro-haired fast bowler Lasith Malinga was again the pick of the Sri Lankan attack with three wickets for 30 runs from his allotment of 10 overs.
Muttiah Muralitharan and Nuwan Kulasekara supported with the identical figures of two for 42 from their 10 overs.
West Indies managed to make scoring difficult early on for Sri Lanka, and the home team were 45 for one when rain stopped play for 35 minutes in the middle of the 15th over.
Ravi Rampaul had made the breakthrough for West Indies in the ninth over, when Tillkaratne Dilshan was caught behind for 11 top-edging a cut.
After the rain stoppage, West Indies continued to find the going tough, and a 75-run stand between Thuranga and Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, kept the home team on track.
But Dwayne Bravo had Sangakkara caught at short extra cover for 20 in the 26th over to leave Sri Lanka 102 for two.
West Indies failed to make any headway after Sangakkara’s dismissal, as Jaywardene joined Thuranga, and they navigated Sri Lanka to their destination in a stand of 97 – unbroken – for the third wicket.
Just before the end, a short, wide delivery from West Indies captain Darren Sammy was cut to deep cover for a deuce to usher Thuranga to his milestone from 138 balls.
Earlier, Gayle and Adrian Barath, a century-maker in the first ODI, got West Indies going with an opening stand of 45 before they were dismissed within three balls of each other.
Sarwan joined Darren Bravo, and put on 49 for the third wicket before he was run out in the 27th over.
West Indies looked set for take-off at 132 for three in the 32nd over, as the Bravo brothers painstakingly added 38 for the fourth wicket.
But the rest of the visitors’ batting was put into a tailspin, as Malinga triggered a collapse, which saw them lose their last seven wickets for 71 runs inside the last 19 overs.
The final ODI of the series will be contested on Sunday at this venue.
The two sides are using the series as valuable match practice ahead of the World Cup – to be co-hosted by the Sri Lankans, India, and Bangladesh.