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Allen leads Windies to three-wicket win, T20 series triumph over Sri Lanka
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, March 8, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – All-rounder
Fabian Allen clobbered three sixes off the penultimate over to lead West
Indies to a nervy three-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the final Twenty20
International on Sunday. Chasing a modest target of just 132, the two-time
world champions struggled in the run chase as their star trio of Chris Gayle,
skipper Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo all flopped.
Allen’s three sixes came off spinner Akila Dananjaya as the 25-year-old
Jamaican smashed a desperately needed 21 off just six balls faced at Coolidge
Cricket Ground.
West Indies finished on 134-7, clinching the three-game series 2-1 after a
four-wicket win in the first match followed by Sri Lanka’s 43-run victory in
the second.
Dananjaya was again the victim of some explosive West Indies batting after
Pollard hit six sixes off one of his overs in the first game on Wednesday.
“I prepare for everything, including bowling in the powerplay,” said
Allen, who earlier took 1-13 opening the bowling.
“When I look in the dressing room we have a lot of batting power.
“I told (batting partner) Jason Holder that I’m not comfortable batting
against (Wanindu) Hasaranga, so I told him to bat him out and I’ll be
finishing. I just backed myself in the end. It was a good performance
overall.”
The home side were cruising after limiting Sri Lanka to 131-4.
Openers Evin Lewis (21) and Lendl Simmons (26) gave them a solid start
before Sri Lanka leg spinner Hasaranga (2-13) dismissed them both for a
series haul of eight wickets.
Wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan clean-bowled Gayle for 13, completing a
poor international return for the 41-year-old who made just nought and 16 in
the first two games.
Gayle has now gone five years without a fifty in T20 internationals.
– Desperate trouble –
Pollard, who became only the third man to hit six sixes in an
international over on Wednesday, was bowled by seamer Dushmantha Chameera for
nought.
Bravo too went for a duck, a second wicket in two balls for Sandakan
having also sent back Rovman Powell.
Sandakan finished with 3-29 to follow his 3-10 from Friday’s game.
But with 20 runs required off the last 12 balls, Allen smashed Dananjaya
for 20 runs off the penultimate over for the victory.
It was a topsy-turvy series for Dananjaya, who was the fall-guy for
Pollard’s pyrotechnics last Wednesday having taken a hat-trick in the same
game.
Earlier, former skipper Dinesh Chandimal hit his fifth Twenty20
International half-century as he and promising youngster Ashen Bandara took
Sri Lanka to a modest 131-4.
Chandimal carved out an undefeated 54 with three boundaries to finish four
runs short of his best of 58 in the format made against Australia at
Pallekele in 2016.
The 31-year-old, playing in his 57th T20 International, had contributed
just 11 and three in the first two games.
Bandara, 22 and on his debut tour, hit an unbeaten 44 with three fours and
his team’s only two sixes.
Sri Lanka were in desperate trouble early in their innings, reaching 10
overs with just 47 on the board for the loss of four wickets having won the
toss and deciding to bat first.
On their way to winning the second game on Friday at the same venue by 43
runs, they had amassed 94-0 at the halfway point.
On Sunday, they managed just two boundaries in the first 10 overs with
opener Danusha Gunathilaka, who top-scored Friday with 56, out this time for
just nine, caught and bowled by Allen.
The two sides will now play three ODIs and two Tests, all in Antigua.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0854 hrs