Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 15 runs

Nottingham, June 10 (IANS) Sri Lanka put up a powerful batting display that included veteran Sanath Jayasuriya’s blistering 81 from 47 balls to beat the West Indies by 15-runs in the final Group C match of the World Twenty20 here Wednesday. Chasing Sri Lanka’s 192/5, the West Indies, playing without their skipper Chris Gayle, could manage only 177 for five in 20 overs. Dwayne Bravo top scored with 51. Jayasuriya, who will turn 40 this month, showed no signs of ageing as he and Tillekeratne Dilshan (74 off 47 deliveries) cracked 124 from 78 deliveries for the first wicket.

Both teams have already reached the Super Eight stage. The West Indies run chase fell apart in the absence of Gayle, who plotted the downfall of Australia but missed the match with a sore right knee. Simmons (29) and Andre Fletcher (13) gave them a good start, scoring 38 runs off 20 balls but then wickets began falling at regular intervals.

Lasith Malinga (2-45) and Ajantha Mendis (2-25) struck crucial blows to reduce the West Indies to 4-73. Ramnaresh Sarwan (28 not out) and Dwayne Bravo (51) led the recovery with a 77-run stand, but could not see the team through.

Earlier, Jayasuriya and Dilshan flayed the West Indies bowlers all over the park, hitting 21 fours and four sixes. Medium pacer Lendl Simmons, who reaplaced Gayle, was the only bowler to have escaped the punishment, finishing with figures of 4-19.

Jayasuriya looked in dangerous touch as he raced to his 50 in just 29 balls. Dilshan played the second fiddle. Jayasuriya plundered 10 fours and three sixes before falling leg before to Simmons in the 13th over. Skipper Kumar Sangakkara made just 5. But Dilshan, who was dropped by Sulieman Benn in the 12th over, cut loose as Sri Lanka was well on course to cross the 200-mark but some quick wickets threw spanner in Dilshan’s effort.

Highlights from YouTube

Sri Lanka Innings

Tillakaratne Dilshan c Benn b Simmons 74(47)
Sanath Jayasuriya lbw b Simmons 81(47)
Kumar Sangakkara c Fletcher b Simmons 5(6)
Mahela Jayawardene c Ramdin b Simmons 4(7)
Jehan Mubarak not out 8(5)
Chamara Silva c Ramdin b Taylor 7(7)
Angelo Mathews not out 3(2)

Extras: (lb 5, w 4, nb 1) 10
Total: (for five wickets in 20 overs) 192

Fall of wickets: 1-124 (Jayasuriya, 12.3 overs), 2-147 (Sangakkara, 14.5), 3-168(Jayawardene, 17.2), 4-172 (Dilshan, 17.4), 5-189 (Silva, 19.4)

Bowling:
Jerome Taylor 4-0-32-1
Fidel Edwards 2-0-37-0
Dwayne Bravo 4-0-29-0
Sulieman Benn 4-0-25-0
Kieron Pollard 3-0-45-0
Lendl Simmons 3-0-19-4

West Indies Innings

Lendl Simmons c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 29(19)
Andre Fletcher b Malinga 13(11)
Xavier Marshall c Silva b Mendis 14(11)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul b Mendis 1(5)
Ramnaresh Sarwan not out 28(26)
Dwayne Bravo c Mubarak b Malinga 51(38)
Kieron Pollard not out 19(11)

Extras: (lb 4, w 17, nb 1) 22
Total: (for five wickets in 20 overs) 177

Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Fletcher, 3.2 overs), 2-70 (Simmons, 6.4), 3-71 (Marshall, 7.1), 4-73 (Chanderpaul, 7.5), 5-150 (Bravo, 17.3)

Bowling:
Sanath Jayasuriya 3-0-34-0
Lasith Malinga 4-0-45-2
Isuru Udana 4-0-36-0
Ajantha Mendis 4-0-25-2
Muttiah Muralitharan 4-0-21-1
Angelo Mathews 1-0-12-0

Toss: West Indies, elected to field
Man of the Match: Sanath Jayasuriya