Sri Lanka beat West Indies to level T20 series
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.
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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.
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Shamar Joseph took 3-32 off his four overs, including a searing yorker which bowled Dunith Wellalage with the final ball of the innings.
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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.
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But the match turned decisively toward Sri Lanka in the 10th over.
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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.
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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.
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Dushmantha Chameera (3-9) had Roston Chase (17) caught on the boundary at the start of the 19th over to complete a routine victory.
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Sri Lanka won the preceding โ and soggy โ three-match ODI series 1-0 after the final two matches were rained out. Sri Lanka won the first match by 41 runs.
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The final match of the T20 series is scheduled for Sunday, also at Sabina Park in Kingston.
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