Sri Lanka triumphs over West Indies

Sri Lanka leveled the three-match Twenty20 cricket series with a 37-run win over the West Indies on Saturday.

After being sent in to bat Sri Lanka made a competitive 194-6 on the back of half-centuries from Kamil Mishara and Dasun Shanaka before Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera took three wickets each to limit the hosts' reply to 157 at Sabina Park.

Mishara made an unbeaten 61 from 40 balls and shared a 101-run stand with Shanaka (58 off 24 balls) to form the backbone of Sri Lanka's innings.

Shamar Joseph took 3-32 off his four overs, including a searing yorker which bowled Dunith Wellalage with the final ball of the innings.

The West Indies reply stuttered from the start as it slumped to 9-2 in the early overs, before Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell combined for an 82-run stand to help recover the chase.

But the match turned decisively toward Sri Lanka in the 10th over.

First, Hetmyer (36 off 26) was run out chasing a tight single and four balls later Powell, who hit a six off the final over to clinch victory for the West Indies in the first match on Thursday, was caught at point off Theekshana for 43 off 26 balls.

Wanindu Hasaranga (3-38) then dismissed Sherfane Rutherford (14) and Romario Shepherd in consecutive balls in the 13th over to reduce the West Indies 108-6 and still a long way from the target.

Dushmantha Chameera (3-9) had Roston Chase (17) caught on the boundary at the start of the 19th over to complete a routine victory.

Sri Lanka won the preceding — and soggy — three-match ODI series 1-0 after the final two matches were rained out. Sri Lanka won the first match by 41 runs.

The final match of the T20 series is scheduled for Sunday, also at Sabina Park in Kingston.

-ABC