Samuels century in vain as Sri Lanka complete ODI clean sweep

Sport360 staff 23:20 07/11/2015
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  • Marlon Samuels hit 110 runs from 95 deliveries.

    A Marlon Samuels’ century could not prevent Sri Lanka beating West Indies by 19 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain-interrupted third one-day international in Colombo to record a clean sweep in the three-match series.

    West Indies were put into bat and were 18 for four inside six overs, but Samuels’ unbeaten knock of 110 from 95 deliveries brought some respectability to their total of 206 for nine, after a two-hour rain delay saw the match reduced to 36 overs per side.

    Sri Lanka, who won the rain-reduced first two ODIs to take an unassailable lead, completed the whitewash as Kusal Perera’s fifty at the top of the order and 20-something knocks from quartet Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews helped the hosts reach a winning total of 180 for five when rain brought play to a permanent close in the 33rd over.

    Sri Lanka captain Mathews won the toss and chose to field – a decision that reaped immediate dividends when Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jermaine Blackwood and Darren Bravo fell for single digits as the tourists slipped to 18 for four inside six overs.

    Samuels led the West Indies’ fightback with a swashbuckling half-century, while wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and Jonathan Carter barely troubled the scorers, as the West Indies reached 105 for six after 23 overs before the rain brought a lengthy halt to proceedings.

    Jason Holder (19) lasted just two balls when the action resumed some two hours later, but, sensing that the end of their innings was nigh as he ran out of partners, Samuels went on the attack with a flurry of boundaries.

    He brought up his ninth ODI century from just 85 balls in the 34th over, including 14 fours and a six, before navigating his side to 206 – some feat considering the next highest scorer was extras at 22.

    Sri Lanka openers Perera and Dilshan compiled 40 in 33 balls before the latter lobbed Carlos Brathwaite to point to give Carter a simple catch with the very next delivery after he had dropped the veteran all-rounder.

    Perera and Thirimanne put on 55 in 10.1 overs for the second wicket before Perera registered his seventh ODI half-century – only to fall to Ravi Rampaul with the following ball

    Mathews enjoyed productive stands with Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardana and Shehan Jayasuriya to sees his side to within 10 runs of their required winning target of 190 when the heavens opened once gain.

    Sri Lanka were 19 runs ahead of the required run rate by that point and the hosts were able to toast victory when it became clear the players would not be able to return to complete the match.

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