Sri Lanka 330 for 7 (Dickwella 94, Kusal Mendis 94, Dhananjaya de Silva 58, Holder 3-57) v West Indies
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Niroshan Dickwella, reprieved on 39, made West Indies pay © AFP
Niroshan Dickwella enhanced his growing reputation of a steady top-order batsman; his 106-ball 94 and a 107-run stand for the fourth wicket with Kusal Mendis, who made an effervescent 94, glittered Sri Lanka’s 330 for 7 in their final tri-series league fixture on a green Queens’ Sports Club surface in sunny Bulawayo.
Sri Lanka lost Kusal Perera, cleaned up by Shannon Gabriel early, but quickly got back on track courtesy Dhananjaya de Silva’s exuberant 58. The first signs of aggression came in the seventh over when Dickwella scooped Carlos Brathwaite over short fine leg, and followed that up by flicking a leg-stump halg-volley for six. Then Dhananjaya took over, smacking two successive boundaries off Brathwaite’s next over as Sri Lanka raced to 71 for 1 in 10 overs. Dhananjaya matched Dickwella stroke-for-stroke in his half-century before lobbing a simple return catch to Kraigg Brathwaite leave leave Sri Lanka on 123 for 2 in the 21st over.
Dickwella carried on to bring up a 39-ball fifty during the course of which he was reprieved on 39 by wicketkeeper Shai Hope. He mellowed down after that by playing percentage cricket against the spinners. Mendis, who couldn’t covert a half-century into three figures on five occasions, focused on strike-rotation to keep the scorecard ticking along initially before stepping up.
The hallmark of Kusal’s effort against spin was in sharp contrast to his measured approach against the fast bowlers – Shannon Gabriel constantly clocked average speeds of 145kph in a lively opening spell despite battling through a hamstring niggle – on a surface that was half as menacing as it looked. Getting outside the line of the stumps, the sweep and the pull was his preferred area of operation as he constantly peppered the leg side boundaries with five sixes.
It took the reintroduction of Holder, who struck in the second over of his second spell to send back Dickwella lbw. Along with a crucial wicket, Sri Lanka also lost a review as the umpire’s on-field decision stood when replays confirmed the ball would have hit leg stump. Having got the breathing space, Holder brought back Carlos Brathwaite, who had gone for 27 off his first three overs, in his quest to get a couple of quiet overs in, and he struck immediately to castle Shehan Jayasuriya with an inswinging yorker to leave Sri Lanka on 258 for 4 in the 43rd over.
But the loss of two quick wickets didn’t hamper Kusal’s designs. With seven overs left, he slugged offspinner Asheley Nurse for two successive sixes – the first a slug into the bleachers at cow corner and the second a drill over long-on – before a delicate late run down to third man with three figures in sight led to him feathering an edge.
Upul Tharanga, the stand-in captain, and Sachith Pathirana lent the finishing touches with cameos to ensure West Indies, who haven’t successfully chased down 300 plus in 29 attempts, will have to set a new record to ensure their berth in the final with one league game in hand.
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo