West Indies seal T20 series over Sri Lanka

WEST INDIES sealed their two-game T20 International series over Sri Lanka on Friday with a convincing seven-wicket win, with three overs remaining, in their second and final T20 International at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele.

This is the first T20 series win for the defending World Cup champions since their 2-1 victory away to Bangladesh in December 2018.

Sent in to bat by WI captain Kieron Pollard, Sri Lanka were restricted to 155 runs for six wickets off their allotted 20 overs with left-arm spinner Fabian Allen taking two wickets for 24 runs, while pacers Oshane Thomas, Sheldon Cottrell and Dwayne Bravo took one each.

Dasun Shanaka top-scored for the hosts with an unbeaten 31 (24 balls, three fours and a six), while Angelo Mathews made 23 and Thisara Perera 21 not out.

Lendl Simmons was dismissed cheaply for nine, but his opening partner Brandon King made his highest T20 International score of 43, from 21 balls, with six fours and two sixes.

King and Shimron Hetmyer (43 not out off 42 balls with three fours) featured in a second-wicket stand of 46 before King was dismissed, with the score on 69.

Rovman Powell made a run-a-ball 17, but all hopes of a Sri Lanka comeback were dashed when Man of the Match (and Man of the Series) Andre Russell came to the crease, and unleashed a number of sixes - six to be exact - in his unbeaten 40 (off 14 balls), as the Windies reached 158/3 off 17 overs.

Shanaka, Mathews and Lahiru Kumara were the wicket-takers for Sri Lanka.

The West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by 25 runs in their first T20 International on Wednesday, also at the Pallekele Stadium.

The West Indies will be back in T20 action when they host New Zealand, in a three-game series, from July 15-19.