Roneil Walcott
IMPRESSIVE fifties by opening batsmen Brandon King (63 off 33 balls) and the returning Evin Lewis (50 off 28) guided the West Indies to a 5-wicket bring together against Sri Lanka in the predominant match of their three-match T20 sequence at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Sri Lanka on October 13.
The hosts had been inserted by the West Indies, and they obtained a first charge score of 179 for seven, with the pair Kamindu Mendis (51 off 40) and skipper Charith Asalanka (59 off 35) hitting fifties of their very derive as they effect on an 82-bustle stand for the fourth wicket.
The West Indies attack became led by Guyanese allrounder Romario Shepherd, who grabbed two for 39 as he accounted for the wickets of Pathum Nissanka (11) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (17). Pacer Shamar Joseph (one for 27) delivered a fee-efficient four-over spell and had the scalp of Kusal Perera (six), with Alzarri Joseph (one for 40), Gudakesh Motie (one for 16) and debutant Shamar Springer (one for 25) also taking a wicket each.
The Windies bowlers did a exact job at the demise as they restricted Sri Lanka to staunch 47 runs in the last 5 overs – grabbing four wickets in the technique.
West Indies took the momentum into their batting innings, as King and Lewis wrested the game some distance flung from the hosts with a panoramic 107-bustle partnership for the predominant wicket. Each men clinched their 11th T20 world fifties, and by the time Lewis became disregarded by Matheesha Pathirana (two for 27) in the tenth over, the Windies had been effectively and essentially in the ascendancy.
For the 32-year-extinct Lewis, it became his first outing for the West Indies since he grew to change into out in an International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup qualifier against Eire in 2022. In his 28-ball defend at the crease, the left-hander gave a reminder of his uncooked expertise and hitting power, hitting 5 fours and crashing four sixes in a scathing attack on the Sri Lankan bowling. Within the ninth over, Lewis successfully took on his St Kitts and Nevis Patriots teammate Wanindu Hasaranga (one for 38), hitting the ace leg-spinner for a four and 97-metre six over mid-wicket.
At the opposite close, Man of the Match King became also on the plug, and the Jamaican correct-hander frail his ft to staunch raise out against both scuttle and tempo in his breezy innings.
West Indies raced to 74 with out loss after six overs, with King finishing the powerplay with a flourish with piercing off-aspect drives off spinner Maheesh Theekshana, a key player for Barbados Royals in their 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) marketing and marketing campaign.
“The pitch obtained a minute higher for us and chasing a score luxuriate in 180, you know you wish to have a staunch powerplay. Our roles are very certain. As openers, we steal that risk to steal a peek at and receive the crew off to a staunch initiating.” King acknowledged, at the put up-match presentation.
King became sidelined by effort for the length of the Excellent Eights stage of the Windies’ T20 World Cup bustle in June, and he played staunch four video games in the 2024 CPL season for impress contemporary franchise Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.
In Dambulla, though, King showed minute signs of rust as he belted 11 fours and the solitary six as he and Lewis obtained on high of the Sri Lankan bowling.
“The problem is more psychological than something else at this point. It be about having the boldness for your physique to attain what you always attain. Being out for a couple of months is hard, but I am essentially gay to be aid.”
After Lewis’ dismissal, West Indies had an all-too-familiar slip as Shai Hope (seven) and a sweeping King fell in consecutive overs as they slid to 128 for three.
At that stage, West Indies had been peaceable as much as the trace as they needed 52 off 50 balls. After a 32-bustle stand between captain Rovman Powell (13) and Roston Hobble (19), the Sri Lankans threatened a leisurely fightback as the pair became dislodged in quick succession by Theekshana (one for 31) and Pathirana.
West Indies needed 13 off the last 13 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford (14 no longer out) ensured there had been no hiccups at the demise as he sealed the bring along side an uppish, one-hand four into the prolonged-off boundary off Pathirana as the Caribbean crew obtained home with 5 balls to spare.
Powell acknowledged it became a delight to see King and Lewis embracing their pure sport as they fame the tone for the bring together.
“I am a captain who believes in particular person performances, particularly in the T20 layout. People in overall bring together you video games, and I continue to spread it by my crew that other folks favor to arise and be counted,” Powell acknowledged.
“As soon as other folks arise and be counted, then other members in the crew will in overall aid them and we are going to raise it over the line.”
Before the sequence, coach Daren Sammy acknowledged he wished to test the depth of his Windies squad as they devise against the 2026 T20 World Cup. From 9.30 am (Trinidad and Tobago time) on October 15, the regional men will plug after a chain sealing bring together in Dambulla in the 2d T20.
Summarised Ratings:
SRI LANKA 179/7 (20 overs) (Charith Asalanka 59, Kamindu Mendis 51; Romario Shepherd 2/39, Gudakesh Motie 1/16) vs WEST INDIES 180/5 (19.1 overs) (Brandon King 63, Evin Lewis 50; Matheesha Pathirana 2/27, Ok Mendis 1/14). West Indies obtained by 5 wickets.
