Player of the Match
Player of the Match

That's it from us folks. Join us in roughly 44 hours' time for the third Men's T20I. Right now there is a massively tense game going on at the T20 World Cup in Dubai too, so switch over to that and check it out.

Charith Asalanka: "It's an important win for us. The toss was very important. Luckily I won it. Even at the toss we though 160 or 170 was a par score. The openers set the foundation for us. Wellalage has experience in ODI cricket. He didn't look like a debutant to me."

Rovman Powell: "At the halfway stage we were confident we could get 160. But it wasn't really a cricket wicket. It wasn't a T20 wicket. But they used their conditions well. T20 cricket is about match-ups now, and I tried to bowl my left arm spinners to to their right handers. If we think about the third match as a final, we always back West Indies to win finals."

Nissanka is Player of the Match for his fifty: "It's a really hard wicket to bat on and I played to my strengths. We had targeted 160 right from the start. They only had one main spinner, and we wanted to cover his overs and we were able to do that. My leg is ok - it's just a cramp."

Saikrishna : "I guess West Indies would have lost first game as well if not for the rain, which might have made it easier to chase in the powerplay " I think WI were substantially the better team on that day, rain or not. They were just derailed in the powerplay in this game, on a used track. SL did well not to give Motie wickets too.

lunch: "I wish one positive word can be spoken for Nissanka, who was bullied as a liability half way through this match, but is one of the top contenders for POTM. Never judge too harshly until both teams have batted. " I'd give it to Wellalage myself, but yes, in retrospect both Nissanka and Kusal Mendis played good hands. Big shout out to Kusal Perera who crashed 24 off 16 from No. 3 too. Don't sleep on the cameos on these sorts of tracks.

West Indies have crumbled to a double-figure score, with the spinners - led by debutant Wellalage - doing the damage. He's just got that dynamism about his cricket doesn't he? It's just his first T20I game, but there is a tenacity there that suggests Wellalage is going to play many. many more matches in this format. His figures were a spectacular: 3 wickets for 9 runs from 4 overs. Theekshana, Hasaranga, and Asalanka took two apiece.

16.1
W
Theekshana to AS Joseph, OUT, that's it. All over. This was a carrom ball I think. Slowed up, pitched on middle, straightened off the track. Alzarri tried to clip it to leg, but it turned and hit his middle stump instead.

AS Joseph b Theekshana 16 (16m 10b 1x4 1x6) SR: 160.00

himash76: "i think Hasaranga needs to be dropped for yhe next game. His potency has seemed to have left him" Very harsh, Himash. Not quite the trump card he once was, but still a big player for SL I feel.

END OF OVER:
16 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | WI: 89/9 (74 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 5.56, RRR: 18.50)

  • Alzarri Joseph16 (9b)
  • Shamar Joseph5 (4b)
  • Matheesha Pathirana2-0-12-1
  • Wanindu Hasaranga3-0-32-2
15.6
1
Pathirana to AS Joseph, 1 run, slower ball, on a length, on about off stump. Alzarri works it to leg and keeps strike
15.5
1
Pathirana to S Joseph, 1 run, another whip off his pads, but Dunith Wellalage at deep square leg covers good ground and makes a nice, diving stop. He's having a blinder in the field. This was to a full ball on the pads
15.4
0
Pathirana to S Joseph, no run, full, wide of off, at 148kph, and Shamar is understandably late on the shot. Doesn't touch it
15.3
0
Pathirana to S Joseph, no run, full, wide of off, and Shamar tries to flay that through off and misses
15.2
4
Pathirana to S Joseph, FOUR, uff, that's not bad for a No. 11. Pathirana comes around the wicket to the leftie, and bowls a fast one at the stumps. Shamar gets across and whips off his pads through fine leg for four. Lovely
15.1
W
Pathirana to Powell, OUT, this is what fast bowling can do. This is a bouncer into the ribs, which Powell tries to help around the corner, but he's rushed into the shot, and only gets and edge to, which Kusal Mendis does very well to get to, diving across to his left. Pathirana has removed West Indies' captain, and Sri Lanka are on the brink of a big win

R Powell c †BKG Mendis b Pathirana 20 (27m 17b 1x4 1x6) SR: 117.64

END OF OVER:
15 | 16 Runs | WI: 83/8 (80 runs required from 30 balls, RR: 5.53, RRR: 16.00)

  • Alzarri Joseph15 (8b)
  • Rovman Powell20 (16b)
  • Wanindu Hasaranga3-0-32-2
  • Matheesha Pathirana1-0-6-0
14.6
6
Hasaranga to AS Joseph, SIX, he may not be super highly rated as a batter, but the man is seeing it well today. Alzarri picks the googly, gets low, unfurls a big slog sweep, and sends it way over deep midwicket for six. Playing a little gem here. But is it too late already to revive this innings?
14.5
4
Hasaranga to AS Joseph, FOUR, tossed up and driven with wonderful timing through long off. Bhanuka Rajapaksa down there makes a diving effort, but can't save that boundary.
14.4
1
Hasaranga to Powell, 1 run, flat, a little shorter, and Powell agains bangs it down the ground but the fielder gets to it easily this time
14.3
4
Hasaranga to Powell, FOUR, clears the front leg and pounds a four down the ground. That was pitched too full, and Powell just waited for it in the crease and swung hard through the line. Long on was back but had no chance
14.2
0
Hasaranga to Powell, no run, legbreak into the pads, which Powell tries to whip square but misses. Ball hits pad and Hasaranga appeals, but that's sliding past leg stump easy
14.1
1
Hasaranga to AS Joseph, 1 run, full, fast, at the stumps, driven to long on. Alzarri batting nicely here

Tinura: "This seems good on surface, but it's really hurting SL in the long run. Whenever their white ball batting gets exposed, they just cover it by preparing a rank turner instead of facing the issue and addressing it. This have led to inability to both bat and bowl successfully in WCs where surfaces turn less and conducive to run scoring."

Wasn't long ago where they were struggling even on turning home surfaces though.

END OF OVER:
14 | 6 Runs | WI: 67/8 (96 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 4.78, RRR: 16.00)

  • Alzarri Joseph4 (5b)
  • Rovman Powell15 (13b)
  • Matheesha Pathirana1-0-6-0
  • Wanindu Hasaranga2-0-16-2
13.6
1
Pathirana to AS Joseph, 1 run, stump-seeking yorker at 143kph, which Alzarri digs out to mid on and takes a single off
13.5
0
Pathirana to AS Joseph, no run, length outside off but at 143kph this time. Driven hard, but cover gets across and stops it, preventing a run
13.4
1
Pathirana to Powell, 1 run, another slower ball, length outside off, opens the face and runs it to deep third
13.3
1
Pathirana to AS Joseph, 1 run, slower one at 121kph, length ball outisde off, which Alzarri pushes towards mid on and they take one
13.2
1
Pathirana to Powell, 1 run, goes short to Powell at 134kph. The batter gets on top of the bounce and pulls it to deep backward square
13.1
1
Pathirana to AS Joseph, 1 run, swinging yorker into the toes, but Alzarri deals with it nicely, whipping it square on the legside for a single into the deep
13.1
1w
Pathirana to AS Joseph, 1 wide, full, but fired down leg

RamalFernando: "Following the match all the way from Kenya and supporting our SL boys. What a performance by Wella on debut. He has bitten into the WIndian batting. This Sri Lankan bowling attack is reminiscent of the late 90's SL spin brigade of ours - DeSilva, Jayasuriya, Dharmasena bowling around Murali - and slowly throttling the opposition" Thanks for following, Ramal. I'm always wary of making '90s comparisons, but there certainly are plenty of slow bowling options for SL today.

Here's the fastest guy though - Pathirana is into the attack.

END OF OVER:
13 | 12 Runs 1 Wkt | WI: 61/8 (102 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 4.69, RRR: 14.57)

  • Alzarri Joseph1 (1b)
  • Rovman Powell13 (11b)
  • Wanindu Hasaranga2-0-16-2
  • Dunith Wellalage4-0-9-3
12.6
1
Hasaranga to AS Joseph, 1 run, googly to welcome Alzarri as well. he prods forward, gets an inside edge to it that goes off towards midwicket, and keeps the strike with a single
12.5
W
Hasaranga to Springer, OUT, another bad ball, but Springer has messed up this time. This was even juicier if anything - a knee-high ball from a leggie. Springer attempts the same shot and probably should have deposited it on to the grass banks. Ends up top edging it to Wellalage at deep midwicket instead, who settles safely beneath it.

SK Springer c Wellalage b Hasaranga 7 (8m 6b 1x4 0x6) SR: 116.66

12.4
4
Hasaranga to Springer, FOUR, full toss and swung away with a slog sweep between deep midwicket and long on. That's a bad ball and dealt with clinically
12.3
1
Hasaranga to Powell, 1 run, Hasaranga keeps it flat and fast, but outside off strike. Chopped away through point.

West Indies 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st12E LewisBA King
2nd2ADS FletcherE Lewis
3rd3ADS FletcherRL Chase
4th5ADS FletcherSE Rutherford
5th16G MotieSE Rutherford
6th1R PowellSE Rutherford
7th1R ShepherdR Powell
8th20R PowellSK Springer
9th23AS JosephR Powell
10th6AS JosephS Joseph