ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Captain Kieron Pollard smashed six sixes in a game over for only the third time at Twenty20 International to counteract Akila Dananjaya’s stunning hat-trick, as the West Indies held their nerve in a chaotic run-on hunt to beat Sri Lanka by four wickets here last night.
Chasing a modest 132 for victory in the opening match at Coolidge Cricket Ground, West Indies raced to 52 off the first 19 deliveries courtesy of some incredible power hit from openers Evin Lewis (28) and Lendl Simmons (26 ).
However, the play unfolded when Dananjaya (3-62) Lewis, Chris Gayle (0) and Nicholas Pooran (0) moved in quick succession in the fourth over to claim his hat-trick.
Pollard responded almost immediately, reaching the crease to punish Dananjaya with six huge sixes in the sixth over, on his way to an 11-ball 38 which helped West Indies regain their balance.
Even more drama exploded in the next game when Pollard was one of two wickets to fall off consecutive deliveries to leave leg spinner Hasaranga de Silva (3-12) on a hat-trick, and West Indies stumbling again at 101 for six.
That’s not the end of the upset either as Jason Holder (29 not out) was dropped in the depths on nine off Dananjaya and Dwayne Bravo (four not out) missed by the bowler a couple deliveries later, before India ‘ r West assembled themselves to win comfortably in the end.
“It was a strange game,” said a relieved Pollard afterwards.
The controversial 22-year-old Pathum Nissanka had earlier scored at the top with 39 while opener Niroshan Dickwella had 33 but Sri Lanka found themselves restricted to 131 for nine off their 20 overs.
They were well placed at one stage at 71 for one in the 10th over but then lost eight wickets for 60 runs in the back, to fall away badly.
Once sent in, they lost Danushka Gunathilaka for four in the third over to diving catch midway through a short wicket by Pollard to give first baseman Kevin Sinclair his first international wicket, but Nissanka and Dickwell put 50 for the second wicket to repair the damage.
Nissanka faced 34 balls and struck out four fours and sixes while the Dickwella on the left punched three fours and six off 29 deliveries.
Holder of the fast bowler broke the stand when Dickwella attempted to sweep a low full throw and had his sticks rushed off the final ball of the 10th over and Nissanka followed in the 13th, failing to charge Fabian Allen’s left arm spinner and leaving Pooran to complete simple stumble.
A rainstorm did little to improve Sri Lanka’s fortunes as left-arm sailor Obed McCoy (2-25) grabbed two wickets following the restart to help accelerate the decline of the pubs.
In reply, Lewis lasted three sixes in the opening over from captain Angelo Mathews’ lightweight midfield and added two fours later in a 10-ball hurricane knock while Simmons struck three fours and two sixes off 15 balls, in a start fast to the West Indies. .
And the home team seemed set for an easy win before Lewis nailed it to far off and then left-handed veteran Gayle got one and spun past an insecure defensive prod to hit the front pad and back, for what should have been a simple LBW decision but only gained through DRS.
When Pooran kicked the next ball behind, an elated Dananjaya claimed the 14th hat-trick at T20 Internationals.
Simmons missed a sweep in Hasaranga and was lbw in the end of the fifth at 62 for four but Pollard eased the tensions with his stunning achievement in the next over.
The first six were hit immensely, the second flew straight back overhead to the screen view while the third cleared comfortably far away.
Pollard then found a long layup for the fourth six, pulling a straight six off the back foot for his fifth before flicking a sixth over the ropes in the middle of the wicket to join South Africa and Indian Yuvraj Singh’s Herschelle Gibbs in the record books.
He was looking to push forward when he failed to steer Hasaranga googly and it was lbw and Allen followed the next ball, also playing down the wrong line to another googly.
Bravo overturned the hat-trick but was dropped in the next game when Dananjaya failed to hold in a comeback, just seconds after Ashen Bandara, the starter, netted the easiest chance on deep wicket center to keep Holder in the crease.
The incumbent calmly saw West Indies over the line, however, ending the contest with the second of his two sixes.
GDP er / ed / 21