WI-Sri Lanka clash in T20 series decider

WEST Indies coach Phil Simmons said his bowlers have been producing the goods in the T20 series against Sri Lanka in Antigua, but said the batsmen can't be too tentative against the spinners in the third and deciding contest at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, on Sunday, from 6 pm.

West Indies won the opening match on Wednesday by four wickets in a match that had all the excitement fans could have asked for. West Indies captain Kieron Pollard became just the second batsman to hit six sixes in an over in T20 International cricket when he struck off-spinner Akila Dananjaya for six maximums. India batsman Yuvraj Singh struck England's Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in the 2007 T20 World Cup. Dananjaya also grabbed a hat-trick in the match when he dismissed Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran.

On Friday, Sri Lanka levelled the three-match series with a 43-run win behind their spinners.

On Saturday, speaking to the media on Zoom, Simmons said, "I think in both games the bowlers have been excellent. I think the first six or seven overs yesterday the (Sri Lanka) guys played well and they chose their shots really well, but after about the ninth or tenth over we just pulled back everything...to keep them to 160 was a great effort."

Sri Lanka openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Pathum Nissanka put on 95 for the first wicket inside 11 overs, before the West Indies reduced the flow of runs by snatching wickets regularly. Dwayne Bravo, who ran out Nissanka, ended as the best bowler for West Indies with 2/25 in four overs.

Kevin Sinclair (off-break) and Fabian Allen (left-arm orthodox) have been the two spinners used by West Indies in the series so far. Asked if West Indies will consider using another spinner in the final T20, Simmons said it is more important that his batsmen cope with the Sri Lanka spinners.

"It is always (a) thought (to play another spinner)," said Simmons. "There is another spinner (left-armer Akeal Hosein) in the squad, but I think there is more thought about how we negotiate, how we play, how we score runs against their spinners. Right now that is more important because I think the bowlers and in the field we have done an excellent job because (restricting Sri Lanka to) 160 after being 94 (without loss) after ten overs the bowlers are doing their job, so it is more about how the batsmen do their job tomorrow."

West Indies are filled with power-hitters including Lendl Simmons, Lewis, Gayle, Pooran and Pollard. Simmons said he has not identified one person to anchor the innings as he believes all his batsmen have the ability to do so. "In this format I am not looking at any specific player to bat around because today Evin and Simmo can go out and Evin starts (attacking) and Simmo has to buckle down and bat through and vice versa on another day."

Speaking about facing the Sri Lanka spinners in the final T20, Simmons said, "The key is making sure we play them in the right way. You can't be too tentative when you playing against good spinners. We have to still go out there looking to score against them and play cricket how we know to play cricket."