Convincingly beat Windies by 9 wickets:

Jayawardene and Sangakkara keep Sri Lanka on course

By Dr Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

A fantastic Captain’s knock of 65 by Mahela Jayawardene who was involved in a second wicket stand of 108 with Kumar Sangakkara 39 helped Sri Lanka stay on course for a semi-final berth and a tilt at the Twenty20 title when they beat West Indies by 9 wickets at Pallekele today.

In reply to the Windies score of 129 for 5 in 20, Sri Lanka made 130 for one in 15.2 overs.

Both Jayawardene and Sangakkara played some lovely and audacious strokes and toyed with the Windies attack in bringing Sri Lanka a memorable victory much to the delight of the near 40 thousand crowd who went berserk when Sangakkara hit the winning run.

Jayawardene had 10 fours and a six in his 59 ball knock and Sangakkara 5 fours in his 34 ball innings.

Startling fashion

The Lankans started their victory chase in startling fashion, when after Mahela Jayawardene square cut for 4 in the first over bowled by Ravi Rampaul which also had two wides, Tillekeratne Dilshan hit the first three balls of Fidel Edwards next over for fours.

But with the score on 22, Sri Lanka lost their first wicket when Dilshan got a touch to Rampaul and was taken behind by Dinesh Ramdin for 13 in 9 balls with 3 fours.

One drop Kumar Sangakkara joined his skipper Jayawardene and with some intelligent and watchful batting hoisted the first 50 – 52 in 35 balls. At the completion of the power play 6 overs Sri Lanka were 55 for one, compared to the Windies 20 for 2 in 6.

One change

Sri Lanka was forced to make a change because Akila Perera was unfit.In his place came in left arm spinner Rangana Herath.

The stadium was packed to capacity when Anjelo Mathews ran in to bowl the first ball after West Indies decided to bat first after winning the toss.

The two Sri Lankan bowlers Anjelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulesekera kept the big hitting Windies openers Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle on a tight leash never allowing them to play their devastating strokes.

After hitting Lasith Malinga for two fours, Charles tried to breakloose, but was foxed by a googly from Ajantha Mendis and was stumped by Kumar Sangakkara for 12 in 21 balls with the score on 16.

Brilliant catch

The feared Chris Gayle failed to ride the pressure, tried to cut a delivery from Kulesekera got an edge and was snapped up brilliantly by a diving wicket keeper Kumar Sangakkara for just 2 in 9 balls. Veryunlike Gayle who is famed for his brutal hitting.

It was the early dismissals of Charles and Gayle that broke the back of the West Indies batting. The Lankans did well to restrict the Windies to 20 runs in the first 6 overs.

Marlon Samuels and Dwaynne Bravo quickened the rate of scoring putting on 65 for the third wicket in 56 balls before Bravo who was the more enterprising hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes in his knock of 40 in 34 balls went caught by Tillekeratne Dilshan at long on off leg spinner Jeevan Mendis at 81.

100th wicket

Nine runs later Ajantha Mendis captured his 100th 20 over career wicket when he bowled Kieron Pollard for one.It was a remarkable achievement by the mystery spinner.

Right hander Marlon Samuels who top scored with 50 was missed at 14 and the score 55 a difficult stumping chance by Sangakkara off Rangana Herath. He was out when Dilshan took a well judged running catch at mid on in 35 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes off Mathews.

The Windies finally made 129 for 5 in 20 overs which was not a formidable score considering their strong batting line up. Ajantha Mendis bowled best to take 2 for 12 in 4 overs. Pallekele, Saturday.

		SCOREBOARD
West Indies
J. Charles st Sangakkara b Mendis        	12
C. Gayle c Sangakkara b Kulasekara		02
M. Samuels c Dilshan b Mathews			50
D. Bravo c Dilshan b J. Mendis			40
K. Pollard b Mendis				01
A. Russell not out				19
D. Sammy not out				01
Extras: (b1, lb3)				04
Total: (for five wickets, 20 overs)	       129

Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Charles), 2-16 (Gayle), 3-81 (Bravo)
		 4-90 (Pollard), 5-123 (Samuels)
Bowling: Mathews 4-0-31-1
	 Kulasekara 4-0-28-1
	 Malinga 4-0-26-0
	 Mendis 4-1-12-2
	 Herath 2-0-16-0
	 J. Mendis 2-0-12-1
	   
Sri Lanka
M. Jayawardene not out				65
T. Dilshan c Ramdin b Rampaul			13
K. Sangakkara not out				39
Extras: (b2, lb1, w10)				13
Total: (for one wicket, 15.2 overs)	       130
Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Dilshan).
Bowling: Rampaul 4-0-39-1 (w4)
	 Edwards 2-0-24-0 (w5)
	 Narine 4-0-23-0
	 Sammy 4-0-28-0 (w1)
	 Russell 1-0-11-0
	 Gayle 0.2-0-2-0