Evin Lewis and Shai Hope share an embrace after the former scored his fourth ODI century.
CWI Media
Evin Lewis scored his fourth ODI century that helped lay the platform for the West Indies’ five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka with two balls to spare at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium earlier today.
Man-of-the-Match Lewis scored 103 and shared in a record 192-run first-wicket partnership with Shai Hope, who made 84, as the West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. It was the best-ever first-wicket stand at the stadium.
Chasing a challenging total of 274, after Sri Lanka made 273 for 8 in their 50 overs, Lewis and Hope kept the Sri Lankan bowling attack at bay for 37.2 overs that seemed destined to take the home side to another comfortable victory. However, they almost threw it away.
Lewis’ 103 came off 121 balls and hit eight fours and four sixes before getting out to stumped to the bowling of Lakshan Sandakan.
His dismissal seemed to lift the Sri Lankans’ spirits and they responded by tightening up on the West Indies, who managed to squeeze two runs from the next nine balls. The pressure continued to build and it yielded the desired results. At 194 for one, Hope got out caught at deep cover trying to push the scoring rate.
As a measure of how much Sri Lanka had slowed the scoring rate, the first 50 for the West Indies came up in just 54 balls, the second in 53 while the third 50 came up in 55 balls. The fourth 50 for the West Indies was made from 81 balls.
In this phase of the game, the West Indies lost the wickets of Darren Bravo for 10 and Kieron Pollard and Fabian Allen 15 each over the next 57 balls from which they managed 55 runs as they tried to rein in the escalating run-rate that had ballooned to 10 runs an over.
With Jason Holder at the other end, it was left to Nicholas Pooran to play hero and swing the match back in favour of the West Indies.
Allen had hit a six off Nuwan Pradeep to start the 48th over. He was dismissed next ball holing out to deep midwicket. However, the batsmen crossed leaving Pooran to face the next four balls from which the West Indies took 11 runs, 10 coming from Pooran’s bat via two fours and running two.
The little Trinidadian would finish the job in the final over off the same bowler with the West Indies needing nine from six balls.
After missing the first ball that was bowled wide of the off-stump, Pooran hit consecutive fours before clipping off his legs for the winning single. He would finish unbeaten on 35 while Holder, who faced four balls and was two not out.
Pradeep finished with 2-66 off 9.4 overs. Thisara Perera claimed the wickets of Hope and Bravo to return 2-45 from seven while Lakshan Sandakan finished with 1-36.
Earlier, Sri Lanka posted what turned out to be a competitive score, the foundation of which was laid by Danushka Gunathilaka, who scored a run-a-ball 96 that rescued Sri Lanka from 50 for 3 after Alzarri Joseph had removed Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka for one and 10, respectively within the first seven overs.
Gunathilaka, who was controversially given out for obstructing the field in the opening match on Wednesday, and Dinesh Chandimal put on 100 for the fourth wicket. He looked set for a hundred when Jason Mohammed bowled him with one that kept low to claim the first of his three wickets.
In fact, Mohammed claimed the next two wickets to fall - Ashan Bandara for 18 and then Chandimal for 71 - as Sri Lanka struggled to force the rate of scoring and seemed likely to score a little more than the 232 they scored in their eight-wicket loss on Wednesday.
However, a blazing cameo of 47 from 31 balls from Hasaranga de Silva propelled Sri Lanka well past the 250-run mark and with a little help from Perera, who made 19 before he was last man out run out for 19.
Mohammed had his career-best figures of 3-48 while Joseph took 2-42. There was a wicket each for Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein.
The final match of the series is scheduled for the same venue on Sunday.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Gilzene, Blackwood fight back as Scorpions reach 176-1, but still 282 away from victory
Jamaica Scorpions chasing a mammoth 459 for victory against Guyana Harpy Eagles were 176-1 at stumps, needing a further 282 to achieve an unlikely victory on Friday.
When play resumes on Saturday morning, Tevin Gilzene will carry on from 81 hoping for a big century as is Jermaine Blackwood, who was unbeaten on 66. The pair has so far put on 166 for the second wicket after losing opening batter Leroy Lugg for 10.
Earlier, Guyana picked up from their overnight score of 138-4 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 60 and Tevin Imlach on an even 50. The pair had extended their partnership to 175 when Chanderpaul was trapped lbw by Blackwood for 89.
Meanwhile, Imlach went to make an unbeaten 136 as Guyana declared at 294-7, 458 ahead of the Scorpions.
Mindley finished with the impressive figures of 6-54 after running through the Guyana middle order. Blackwood took 1-41.
Hodge scores 137 but Hurricanes end day three with 128-run lead over Volcanoes at Brian Lara Stadium
Kavem Hodge scored his fourth first-class hundred but it was the Leeward Islands Hurricanes who ended day three of their fourth-round fixture against the Windward Islands Volcanoes with a 128-run second innings lead at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Friday.
The Volcanoes started the day 206-2 with Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge at the crease on 105 and 85, respectively.
The pair, who came together with the Volcanoes 10-2, brought their third-wicket partnership up to 246 before Athanaze’s knock was brought to an end on 128.
It was quickly 256-4 when Sunil Ambris only lasted one ball.
During the innings Hodge brought up his fourth first-class hundred, reaching 125 by the time lunch came around.
His partner at lunch was Justin Greaves who was on four as the Windwards were 298-5 off 75 overs, trailing the Hurricanes by 84 runs.
After the break, The Windwards lost the wickets of Hodge for 137 and Tevyn Walcott for 17 to be 314-6 in the 81st over.
Justin Greaves had to leave the field when he was on eight after being struck on the helmet by a Jeremiah Louis bouncer. He would later return to the crease when the Windwards were 348-9.
On the stroke of tea, the Windwards innings ended on 353-9 off 95 overs, with them just 29 runs short of a first-innings lead, after Shermon Lewis retired hurt after apparently feeling ill on the field. Greaves was left stranded on 12.
Louis took 4-46 while Cornwall took 4-102 for the Hurricanes.
At stumps, the Hurricanes reached 99-5 off 39 overs. Montcin Hodge has, so far, faced 114 balls for his 45.
Earlier, Preston McSween removed Kieran Powell and Akeem Saunders for four and 11, respectively, to have figures of 2-26 off six overs so far.
Pollard, Russell overlooked for The Hundred, Oval Invincibles select Narine
Neither Kieron Pollard nor Andre Russell were picked up during the The Hundred Player Draft took place on Thursday, March 23. The successful short-format competition is in its third season and is set to bowl off on August 1 and conclude on August 27.
Despite their power-hitting prowess and propensity for being on winning teams in T20 franchise cricket across the globe, neither player was considered to be good enough for any of the eight Hundred teams.
They were not the only big names to be overlooked as two of the best batters in the world - Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan – were also overlooked by the teams’ selectors.
However, Sunil Narine had much better fortune. He was picked up by the Oval Invincibles and is the only West Indian player in The Hundred for the third season.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
