ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – An uncertain West Indies cruised through a nervous hunt before rounder Fabian Allen grabbed three sixes in the last but one, to give them a jittery three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and a very pleasant 2-1 series victory here last night.
Faced with what should have been a simple target of 132 at Coolidge Cricket Ground, the home team battled the Asian team spinners for the third straight game, needing an unbeaten 21-ball Allen head and a head cool Jason Holder to come over the line with over to spare.
The match was still an open affair at the start of the 19th over with West Indies requiring 20 runs from the last 12 balls, but Allen deposited the first ball from leg spinner Akila Dananjaya over the ropes on the square leg, defeating the third – a low full throw – over the middle of the wicket for a further six before clearing long with the final ball of an overhead that dropped 22 runs.
Although proud of the series’ victory, head coach Phil Simmons was impressed with the way it was achieved.
“We’ve won the series and we have to take that because that’s what we have to start doing now,” Simmons said.
“The conversation at the camp is that we have to start winning a series from now on to the World Cup in order for us to get that winning feeling but… this is not my kind of victory.
“This is a win for young people and I don’t like that. I like the old fellas wins where we win easily. ”
Not for the first time in the series, West Indies batting was less than stellar. Lendl Simmons scored at the top with 26, Nicholas Pooran got 23 while Evin Lewis and Allen hit 21 but West Indies never asserted themselves in the hunt.
Left arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan tossed three for 29 while leg spinner Hasaranga de Silva grabbed two for 13 brilliant four overs, garnering praise from their captain Angelo Mathews.
“We had to try to grab wickets. Obviously, we can’t include them in the 20 overs, ”said the general player.
“The way the three spinners bowled, they were outstanding. The truth is we couldn’t get enough runs on the board. ”
Choosing batting first, Sri Lanka gradually lost wickets to fall to 46 for four in the 10th over and needed to beat Dinesh Chandimal 54 and rookie Ashen Bandara 44 out, to reach 131 without losing their further 20 overs.
Allen’s left arm spinner set the tone for the bat with the new ball when he jumped high to his right to pull in a great catch to eliminate opener Danushka Gunathilaka for nine in the third over with 10 runs on the board .
And outfielder Kevin Sinclair was just as outstanding, conceding just 19 runs from his four overs and grabbing the second wicket, new batsman Niroshan Dickwella running for four, turning out a center-forward in the next game .
When Pathum Nissanka (5) and Mathews (11) also died cheaply, Chandimal and Bandara combined in a seamless fifth-wicket stand of 85 runs to see their side up to a competitive total.
The 31-year-old Chandimal faced 46 balls and hit three fours while Bandara, 22, struck out three fours and two sixes in a 35-ball beat, combining to collect 49 runs from the last five overs.
In response, Simmons and Lewis sent West Indies on their way with a solid opening stand of 37 before things fell apart.
Lewis missed a left-footed sweep in a Hasaranga googly and pressed it in the fifth over and Simmons’ wild charge in the same bowler in his next fight led to an easy stump for Dickwella at 54 for two in the seventh.
Captain Kieron Pollard’s decision to promote himself to number four in the order failed to pay dividends as he picked up the third ball he faced and was caught at the wicket off lively sailor Dushmantha Chameera (2-23) without scoring .
Then much rested on veteran Chris Gayle’s shoulders but he capped a miserable series that brought him just 29 runs from three flyovers when a heave failed and he was bowled by Sandakan for 13 in the 12th over.
Pooran, the left-hander, hit two sixes while posting 20 for the fifth wicket with Holder (14 not out) to ease tensions but then played down the wrong line for Chameera and bowled in the 15th over at 95 for five.
The last time of the game came when Sandakan beat Rovman Powell (7) and Dwayne Bravo (0) with consecutive balls to leave the West Indies tipping further at 105 for seven in the 17th over but then Allen and Holder pulled the lead. home team back from the brink.
