North Sound: Sri Lanka’s spinners bowled the tourists to a 43-run win over the West Indies in the second Twenty20 cricket international on Friday, leveling the three-match series at 1-1.
Defending a moderate total of 160-6, Wanindudu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya and Danushka Gunathilaka took eight wickets, bowling out the West Indies for 117 in 18.4 overs.
Sri Lanka stacked its lineup with four spinners for the must-win match at Coolidge and the tactic paid off on a slow pitch which made big hitting difficult.
The West Indies were unable to maintain any scoring momentum as wickets tumbled regularly.
Dananjaya, who made history twice in the first match of a series — taking a hat-trick and conceding six sixes in one over — set the tone of the West Indies innings when he bowled his four overs in succession in the power play, taking 1-13.
Left-arm wrist spinner Lakshman Sandakan, who missed the first match of the series, took 3-14 from 3.4 overs, including the vital wicket of West Indies captain Kieron Pollard for 13.
It was Pollard who won a place in history two days ago by becoming only the third cricketer to hit six sixes in an over in an international match, striking 38 from 11 balls.
He held himself back on Friday, coming in at No. 7 but also found the pitch difficult to come to grips with, managing only 13 from 15 balls with one six.
Sandakan removed him with a wider delivery which Pollard looked to hoist over cover but which took a thick edge and flew to the cover sweeper.
Hasaranga was named man of the match for his 3-17 from four overs and his unbeaten 19 in Sri Lanka’s innings.
He bamboozled the West Indies batsman with the variety of his wrist spin, his line and flight, dismissing Lendl Simmons (21), Chris Gayle (16) and Fabian Allen (12). His googly, difficult to pick, accounted for Simmons and Allen, who fell lbw.