WI finish off SL in style

A 161-run partnership between the West Indian captain and vice-captain guided the West Indies home to an emphatic 7-wicket Test match and series win over Sri Lanka. The home team, chasing 212 for victory, saw the early dismissal of Gayle (0) to Chaminda Vaas. It was Gayle's 4th duck in his last 6 innings against Sri Lanka.

The breakthrough brought Ramnaresh Sarwan to the crease and he proceeded to execute an array of beautiful strokes that injected life to the Sabina Park crowd. Wavell Hinds (29) was bowled by Muralitharan with the score 50, but this only provided entry for Windies captain Brian Lara.

Lara was troubled early by a tremendous spell of spin bowling, but he grew in confidence and ultimately matched his partner Sarwan shot for shot as they tore into the Sri Lankan bowling after tea. Sarwan brought up his fifty with a cracking slog sweep off Muralitharan to the midwicket fence. The partnership saw the West Indies to 211 - a run short of victory - when Sarwan was dismissed anticlimactically with an attempt to smash Vaas over cover. Sarwan scored 82 off 110 balls and hit 13 fours and 1 six.

Earlier in the day, recalled Corey Collymore ripped through the Sri Lankan lower order as he captured all 5 wickets to fall. By doing so, he improved his innings tally to 7 and his match tally to 9. Collymore ended with 7/57 - the best figures by a West Indian in 8 years. His match figures were equally impressive at 9/85.

He started the day bowling Tillekeratne spectacularly for 7 in the third over of play. Dharmasena (20) and Vaas (21) gave aggressive resistance but Collymore had them both caught by Lara at slip. Thilan Thusara was the last wicket to fall as he was well caught at slip for 11 - Sri Lanka 194 all out.

Lara pushed the fourth ball of the 43rd over of the West Indian second innings to complete a 1-0 series win, much to the elation of the crowd. Chaminda Vaas (2/54) returned the best of the Sri Lankan bowling figures. Lara ended unbeaten on 80 off 90 balls with 9 fours and 1 six. Marlon Samuels was not out on nought at the other end.

Corey Collymore was named Man of the Match and the Man of the Series. He captured 14 wickets in the 2-Test series with 2 five-wicket hauls.

Match Summary:

Sri Lanka 1st innings 208 all out (Sangakkara 75, Jayasuriya 26; Edwards 5/36, Collymore 2/28)
West Indies 1st innings 191 all out (Gayle/Sarwan 31, Drakes 30; Nissanka 5/64, Muralitharan 3/23)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings 194 all out (Jayawardene 32, Atapattu 28; Collymore 7/57, Taylor 2/38)
West Indies 2nd innings 212/3 (Sarwan 82, Lara 80*; Vaas 2/54)

Posted by Liam