Hollywood couldn’t have written a better strip, Bollywood couldn’t have acted it out better either.
At 12.50 pm yesterday, acknowledgements ran across the screen thanking Shane Dowrich, Keiran Powell, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase and the fast bowlers, as Windies defeated Sri Lanka in the opening Test of the Sandals Three-match series at the majestic Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.
Starting the final day on 176 for three and needing a further 277 to win or fight to earn a draw, the Sri Lankans were dismantled by a rampant local bowling outfit, as they were routed for 226.
n SCORES: Windies 414/8 dec & 223/7 dec vs Sri Lanka 185 & 226. If Sri Lanka was to get the world record winning target, a lot depended on the overnight batsman Kushal Mendis, who resumed on 94. He quickly got his fifth Test century out of the way but soon after received a brute of a delivery from Shannon Gabriel to leave the Park for 102. He batted all off 268 minutes, facing 210 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes.
When he left, skipper Dinesh Chandimal was the next to fly the flag for the Sri Lankans. He had retired on the fourth afternoon on 15 due to an upset stomach.
He saw the fall of the nightwatchman Lahiru Gamage for three, leg before to Bishoo and 10 minutes before lunch he was out. The right-hander played a horrible shot given the situation of his team and Roston Chase was celebrating his first wicket in the match.
Give him four balls again and he had the plucky little wicketkeeper- batsman Niroshan Dickwella in problems. Chase allowed him to reach first in line for lunch by sending him back leg before on the stroke of the interval.
Lunch was taken at 222/7 and from that point it was only a matter of time and on the team’s return to the field, the game was quickly wrapped up in spectacular fashion by the Barbadian Chase.
The lanky Christchurch man finished with 4/15 and Bishoo 3/48 to spark celebrations among the Test faithful present at the Oval.
Speaking after the match, skipper Jason Holder said: “We are elated over the win and we are not going to take it easy. We are going to be hard on ourselves moving forward.” The next Test starts on Wednesday at the Beausejour in St Lucia.
Holder continued: “The bowlers were fantastic and the batting was good, especially Shane (Dowrich) who gave us a wonderful century. Bishoo was excellent with the ball and Roston really came good for us.”
His opposite number Chandimal said that Sri Lanka lost the plot on the opening day with their fielding and he is hoping that his team can learn from the mistakes heading into the second Test.
Scoreboard
WINDIES VS SRI LANKA
Windies 1st inns 414/8 dec
Sri Lanka 1st innings 185
Windies 2nd innings 223/7
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
(overnight 176/3)
M Perera c Smith b Gabriel................................... 12
K Mendis c Dowrich b Gabriel...........................102
D Chandimal c Brathwaite b Chase.................... 27
A Mathews c Dowrich b Holder.......................... 31
R Silva c & b Bishoo................................................ 14
L Gamage lbw Bishoo...............................................3
N Dickwella lbw Chase.......................................... 19
M Perera not out........................................................3
R Herath c Hope b Bishoo........................................0
S Lakmal c Dowrich b Chase...................................1
C Kumara c Dowrich b Chase..................................0
Extras 3b, 4lb, 7nb................................................ 14
Total all out...........................................................226
Fall of wkts: 21, 45r, 123, 175, 189, 195, 218,
222, 225, 226, 226. Bowling: K Roach 15-3-57-
0, S Gabriel 15-2-52-2, M Cummins 12-4-23-0, J
Holder 14-6-24-1 D Bishoo 19-2-48-3, R Chase
8.2-1-14-4. Result: Windies won by 226
runs. Windies lead three-match series 1-0.
Man of the match: Shane Dowrich.
