17.4.2008
by Craig Cozier

CASTRIES, St. Lucia (AP) - Persistent rain stopped the third and final one-day cricket international between West Indies and Sri Lanka with the match evenly poised on Tuesday.

The home team was 81 for two off 18.2 overs, chasing Sri Lanka’s 257 for eight off 50, when showers swept across Beausejour Stadium and caused the abandonment of the match and a no result.

West Indies sealed the three-match series 2-0 following victories last Thursday and Saturday in Trinidad.

Opener Sewnarine Chattergoon topscored for West Indies with 46.

Mahela Udawatte and Tillakaratne Dilshan hit half centuries to lead Sri Lanka’s effort.

Opener Udwatte topscored with 73 off 121 balls to help contain an early wobble.

Dilshan powered the late charge with 64 off 54 deliveries as West Indies conceded 78 runs off the last nine overs.

Chamara Kapugedara (40) and Kaushalya Weeraratne (41) supported well.

Captain Chris Gayle led the home side with two for 41 off 10 overs before he tumbled in the field and limped off with a suspected groin strain.

Daren Powell took two for 50 on his 30th birthday while Dwayne Bravo claimed two for 67.

West Indies began strongly after Gayle won his third straight toss and again inserted the Sri Lankans.

The visitors slumped to 44-3 after 12 overs with the seasoned trio of Kumar Sangakkara (1), captain Mahela Jayawardene (17) and Chamara Silva (6) back in the pavilion.

Sangakkara, promoted to open, gave Powell a birthday gift from his first delivery as he chipped to short extra cover off the leading edge.

Powell’s fine day continued when he hauled in a magnificent leaping catch at short fine leg to dismiss Jayawardene off Bravo.

The Jamaican added the wicket of Silva, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, to put his side on top.

But Udawatte and Kapugedara restored the innings with a stand of 84 for the fourth wicket.

The 21-year-old Udawatte, in his first international series, completed his maiden half century off 87 balls.

Kapugedara hit two fours off 52 balls before Gayle claimed a simple return catch to halt the partnership.

Gayle added the wicket of Udawatte as Sri Lanka slipped to 172-5 in the 40th over. The left-hander slammed five fours and a six off 121 balls before a slick legside stumping by Ramdin ended his knock.

Dilshan and Weeraratne applied an excellent finish to the innings as they added 79 off 56 balls for the sixth wicket.

Dilshan cracked three fours and a six and ran swiftly between the wickets before he holed out in the penultimate over.

Weeraratne fell in the final over after cracking a four and two big legside sixes.

West Indies began with a volley of strokes from Chattergoon and Runako Morton.

The pair added 54 for the first wicket in 8.1 overs before both departed to even the contest.

Morton (17) edged a drive to wicketkeeper Sangakkara, who then snared Chattergoon standing up to Chaminda Vaas.

Chattergoon smashed six fours and a six in 46 off 53 balls.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (13 not out) and Marlon Samuels (3 not out) were unbeaten when the weather had the final say.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka

K Sangakkara c Sammy b Powell 1

M Udawatte st Ramdin b Gayle 73

M Jayawardene c Powell b Bravo 17

C Silva c Ramdin b Powell 6

C Kapugedara c and b Gayle 40

T Dilshan c Pollard b Bravo 64

K Weeraratne b Taylor 41

C Vaas not out 2

T Thushara run out (Taylor) 0

Extras: (6lb, 6w, 1nb) 13

TOTAL: (for eight wickets) 257

Overs: 50

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-37, 3-44, 4-128, 5-172, 6-251, 7-257,8-257.

Did not bat: Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis.

Bowling: Jerome Taylor 10-0-52-1, Daren Powell 10-0-50-2 (1w),

Dwayne Bravo 10-0-67-2 (1nb, 3w), Darren Sammy 10-0-41-0, Chris

Gayle 10-0-41-2 (1w).

West Indies

S Chattergoon c San’kara b Vaas 46

R Morton c San’kara b Thushara 17

R Sarwan not out 13

Marlon Samuels not out 3

Extras: (1w, 1nb) 2

TOTAL: (for two wickets) 81

Overs: 18.2.

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-77.

Did not bat: Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Denesh

Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards.

Bowling: Nuwan Kulasekara 6-1-33-0 (1nb), Chaminda Vaas 7-0-36-1,

Thilan Thushara 5.2-1-12-1 (1w).

Result: Match abandoned because of rain (West Indies wins

three-match series 2-0).

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Simon Taufel, Australia, and Clyde Duncan, West Indies.

Third umpire: Goaland Greaves, West Indies.

Courtesy - The Island