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SRI LANKA levelled the three-match T20 series against the West Indies at one apiece behind a strong spin bowling performance at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, on Friday, with the visitors cruising to a 43-run win.
Asked where it went wrong in the second T20, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard, said, "Obviously with the bat. If you told us we are going to bowl them out for 160 today (Friday) we would have taken that. I just thought we did not assess the situation quickly and we had a couple soft dismissals, so at the end of the day these things happen in cricket so we see what happens, we still in the series."
Pollard was satisfied with the bowling effort.
Chasing 161 for victory, West Indies were in a decent position on 45/1 in the seventh over with the experienced pair of Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons at the crease. However, when Gayle fell for 16 a collapse followed and West Indies were reduced to 66/6 in the 11th over. During that time Sri Lanka grabbed the wickets of Simmons (21), Jason Holder (nine), Dwayne Bravo (two) and Nicholas Pooran (eight). Pollard and Fabian Allen put on 23, before the latter was out leg before for 12. Sri Lanka were on the brink of victory when Pollard was sent back to the pavilion for 13 as the score read 93/8 after 16.5 overs.
[caption id="attachment_876765" align="alignnone" width="683"] Sri Lanka off-spinner Hasaranga da Silva celebrates the dismissal of Fabian Allen of West Indies during the 2nd T20I match between Sri Lanka and West Indies at Coolidge Cricket Ground on Friday in Osbourn, Antigua. (AFP PHOTO) -[/caption]
Fast bowler Obed McCoy entertained with a top score of 23, but he could not prevent West Indies from falling short as the home team was dismissed for 117 in 18.4 overs. Spinners Hasaranga de Silva and Lakshan Sandakan took 3/17 and 3/10 respectively.
Batting first, Sri Lanka scored a competitive 160/6. Sri Lanka were set to post much more than that as the opening pair of Danushka Gunathilaka and Pathum Nissanka put on 95 for the first wicket inside 11 overs.
A brilliant individual effort from Bravo led to the first wicket for West Indies. Off his own bowling Bravo ran out Nissanka for 37 off 23 balls with a direct hit. In the same over Bravo grabbed another as he dismissed Gunathilaka for 56 off 42 balls which included four fours and two sixes.
Sri Lanka continued to lose wickets regularly as Bravo snatched the wicket of Dinesh Chandimal for three and McCoy got the wicket of Angelo Mathews for 13 to leave the score 119/4 in the 16th over. Sri Lanka struggled to regain the momentum the openers had as the West Indies bowlers reduced the boundaries. Bravo ended as the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 2/25 in four overs.
The third and final T20 will be played at Coolidge on Sunday, at 6 pm.
SUMMARISED SCORES
SRI LANKA 160/6 (20 overs) – Danushka Gunathilaka 56, Pathum Nissanka 37; Dwayne Bravo 2/25 vs WEST INDIES 117 (18.4 overs) – Obed McCoy 23, Lendl Simmons 21; Hasaranga de Silva 3/17, Lakshan Sandakan 3/10. Sri Lanka won by 43 runs. Man of the Match: Hasaranga de Silva (Sri Lanka).
 
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