Brandon King, Evin Lewis crack fifties as Windies beat Sri Lanka in 1st T20

IMPRESSIVE fifties by opening batsmen Brandon King (63 off 33 balls) and the returning Evin Lewis (50 off 28) guided the West Indies to a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the first match of their three-match T20 series at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Sri Lanka on October 13.

The hosts were inserted by the West Indies, and they got a respectable score of 179 for seven, with the pair Kamindu Mendis (51 off 40) and skipper Charith Asalanka (59 off 35) hitting fifties of their own as they put on an 82-run stand for the fourth wicket.

The West Indies attack was led by Guyanese allrounder Romario Shepherd, who grabbed two for 39 as he accounted for the wickets of Pathum Nissanka (11) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (17). Pacer Shamar Joseph (one for 27) delivered an economical four-over spell and had the scalp of Kusal Perera (six), with Alzarri Joseph (one for 40), Gudakesh Motie (one for 16) and debutant Shamar Springer (one for 25) also taking a wicket each.

The Windies bowlers did a solid job at the death as they limited Sri Lanka to just 47 runs in the last five overs – grabbing four wickets in the process.

West Indies took the momentum into their batting innings, as King and Lewis wrested the game away from the hosts with a breathtaking 107-run partnership for the first wicket. Both men clinched their 11th T20 international fifties, and by the time Lewis was dismissed by Matheesha Pathirana (two for 27) in the tenth over, the Windies were well and truly in the ascendancy.

For the 32-year-old Lewis, it was his first outing for the West Indies since he turned out in an International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup qualifier against Ireland in 2022. In his 28-ball stay at the crease, the left-hander gave a reminder of his raw talent and hitting power, hitting five fours and crashing four sixes in a scathing attack on the Sri Lankan bowling. In the ninth over, Lewis successfully took on his St Kitts and Nevis Patriots teammate Wanindu Hasaranga (one for 38), hitting the ace leg-spinner for a four and 97-metre six over mid-wicket.

At the other end, Man of the Match King was also on the go, and the Jamaican right-hander used his feet to good effect against both spin and pace in his breezy innings.

West Indies raced to 74 without loss after six overs, with King finishing the powerplay with a flourish with piercing off-side drives off spinner Maheesh Theekshana, a key player for Barbados Royals in their 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign.

"The pitch got a little better for us and chasing a score like 180, you know you need to have a good powerplay. Our roles are very clear. As openers, we take that risk to try and get the team off to a good start." King said, at the post-match presentation.

King was sidelined by injury during the Super Eights stage of the Windies' T20 World Cup run in June, and he played just four games in the 2024 CPL season for new franchise Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.

In Dambulla, though, King showed little signs of rust as he belted 11 fours and the solitary six as he and Lewis got on top of the Sri Lankan bowling.

"The injury is more mental than anything at this point. It's about having the confidence in your body to do what you usually do. Being out for a couple of months is tough, but I'm really glad to be back."

After Lewis' dismissal, West Indies had an all-too-familiar wobble as Shai Hope (seven) and a sweeping King fell in consecutive overs as they slid to 128 for three.

At that stage, West Indies were still in control as they needed 52 off 50 balls. After a 32-run stand between captain Rovman Powell (13) and Roston Chase (19), the Sri Lankans threatened a late fightback as the pair was dislodged in quick succession by Theekshana (one for 31) and Pathirana.

West Indies needed 13 off the last 13 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford (14 not out) ensured there were no hiccups at the death as he sealed the win with an uppish, one-hand four into the long-off boundary off Pathirana as the Caribbean team got home with five balls to spare.

Powell said it was a delight to see King and Lewis embracing their natural game as they set the tone for the win.

"I'm a captain who believes in individual performances, especially in the T20 format. Individuals generally win you games, and I continue to spread it through my group that individuals need to stand up and be counted," Powell said.

"Once individuals stand up and be counted, then other members in the team will generally help them and we'll carry it over the line."

Before the series, coach Daren Sammy said he wanted to test the depth of his Windies squad as they build towards the 2026 T20 World Cup. From 9.30 am (Trinidad and Tobago time) on October 15, the regional men will go after a series sealing win in Dambulla in the second T20.

Summarised Scores:

SRI LANKA 179/7 (20 overs) (Charith Asalanka 59, Kamindu Mendis 51; Romario Shepherd 2/39, Gudakesh Motie 1/16) vs WEST INDIES 180/5 (19.1 overs) (Brandon King 63, Evin Lewis 50; Matheesha Pathirana 2/27, K Mendis 1/14). West Indies won by five wickets.