ICC CWC 19: Another heartbreak for Windies as Sri Lanka win game of nerves

Sri Lanka put a mammoth 338/6 as youngster Avishka Fernando slammed a century. In reply, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen spiced up Windies chase but Angelo Mathews added a crucial twist at the end

11:49 PM

The young genius deserves some cheers, too !! Avishka Fernando (remember the name!!)

11:47 PM

Sri Lanka all smiles, all hail Angelo Mathews!!

11:35 PM

Over 50 Sri Lanka win by 23 runs!!

Over Summary: 0 0 1 1 1 0        WI: 315/9

Angelo Mathews bowls the last over and the inevitable happens !! just three singles and that's it, a great contest ends in another heartbreak for WIndies and Lanka rejoice!! Bringing Angelo Mathews at a crucial point worked wonders for Lanka and Windies go home with respect at the end of it all !!

11:28 PM

Over 49 Malinga scalps Thomas

Over Summary: 0 0  W 0 0 1        WI: 312/9

Malinga into his last over and he starts with two dot balls, the match has shifted in Lanka's favour and the third ball is revied for LBW and that's OUT!! Shannon Gabriel comes next and he is the last batsman, Malinga bowls another yorker but he survives!! Just a single off the last ball !!

11:18 PM

Over 48 Mathews scalps Pooran

Over Summary: W 0 0 1 2 0     WI: 311/8

Angelo Mathews has been brought in at this crucial stage to create some magic AND.HE.DELIVERS!! NICHOLAS POORAN IS OUT ON THE FIRST BALL AS HE EDGES THE BALL AND KEEPER TAKES THE CATCH!! Isuru Udana dropped Cottrell a ball after.

11:15 PM

Over 47

Over Summary: 1 4 1 0 2 wd 0       WI: 308/7

Isuru Udana into his last over and Cottrell gives strike to Pooran to do the rest, meanwhile, 300 come up for Windies, Pooran wastes no time and he finds a boundary at deep square-leg. The fielders are nervous and an overthrow on the fifth ball confirms that, not just that, a wide follows, adding salt to the wounds

11:09 PM

Over 46

Over Summary: 4 0 0 1 1 Wd 0        WI: 299/7

DROPPED!! Pooran hits Malinga to long-off but Thisara Perera was a little inside and fails to collect the ball and missed a precious chance!! Malinga brings his point-precision yorkers adn he gets the respect of Pooran who decides to rotate the strike, Cottrell survives another yorker and all Malinga could do was smile. A fuller wide comes out of nowhere 

10:59 PM

Over 45 Fabian Allen falls, Pooran hits century

Over Summary: W 2 0 Wd 6 1 0    WI: 292/7

WICKET!! Mix-up on the first ball and Fabian Allen is runout!! Pooran hist century!! It's a bittersweet moment for Windies as just when they lost a big-hitter, a relief came in the form of Pooran's century and he celebrates it with a six!! 

10:55 PM

Over 44

Over Summary: 0 wd 1 6 1 1 1  WI: 282/6

Rajitha into his last over and he keeps the ball away from Pooran who manages a single to move to 98 and Allen is given the charge adn he geos for a SIX!! staright down the ground !! Fabian Allen, in the process, brings up his fifty, a quickfire ahlf-century and Pooran moves to 99!! 

10:50 PM

Over 43

Over Summary: 1 4 0 4 0  0  WI: 271/6

Udana is brought in as Malinga is given some rest but suffering continues for Lanka bowlers as Allen has decided to go all guns blazing, the batsmen find a boundary at third man and a ball after finds another as short fine-leg fails to collect the sweep by Allen.

10:45 PM

Over 42

Over Summary: 1 1 0 1 4  0     WI: 262/6

Seeing Udana struggling, Rajitha has been brought back and some relief for Lanka as batsmen return to singles but it did not stay for long as Allen pulls a slower short delivery out of the boundary rope for four towards cow corner 

10:41 PM

Over 41

Over Summary: 6 0 0 0 4 1  WI: 255/6

The great Caribbean show is on adn that tempts me to write more, Nicholas Pooran is inching closer to his century adn Faban Allen is wreaking havoc from the other end as Lanka have been caught off guard. Dhananjaya is hit hard for a six off the first ball amd adds a boudnary to the tally, and it's another 10-plus over

10:37 PM

Over 35-40 Windies spice up the chase

Another twist in the tale and Widnies have found hope yet again as Pooran looks solid in the middle and Fabian Allen has only added fuel to the fire. Meanwhile, Malinga has been brought in to accompany Udana adn clinch some wickets here but all Lanka is witnessing is boundaries or singles and doubles. The chase has turned interesting yet again and it compels me to elaborate further the happenings of every over. As I write this, Mlainga and Udana are being hit all over the ground and signs or worry are visible in Lanka camp. The fielders have suddenly a lot to do, mostly on the outer circle.

10:14 PM

Over 30-35 Brathwaite out!

Jeffery Vandersay was removed from one end as he conceeds 9 runs in the 31st over and but Rajitha was kept and Windies chose to attack him. Suddenly, there are fireworks all over the ground as Pooran swings into action adnbrings up his fifty, a much-needed inning at this juncture. Skipper Karunaratne tried his hands at bowling and ends up conceding four runs but just then Udana was thought as a better bowling option so he is brought into the picture as Rajitha is approaching his quota of overs. The luck was again in Lanka's favour as Carlos Brathwaite had to return to the pavilion on a runout as Pooran hit Udana straight and the ball touched the bowler's fingers adn collided with the stumps at non-striker's end where Brathwaite was seeking a single, and he finds his inning cut short all of a sudden and Lanka celebrates again!

9:44 PM

Over 25-30

Jeffery Vandersay and Dhananjaya de silva continue the spell as Holder and Pooran swing into action after being passive for some time. Holder did not waste much time and started adding boundaries and Pooran, too, contributed from other end but things wemt awry for the batting side Holder ends up losing his wicket by succumbing to temptation and Vandersay gets his revenge. Windies have lost five wickets adn the side would expect Carlos Brathwaite to pull some magic trick today.

9:25 PM

Over 20-25

Jeffery Vandersay and Dhananjaya de silva are deployed in middle overs and Jason Holder has breathed life in Windies' chase with big hits and boundaries. The overall picture still looks grim for the batting side as required run rate go past 8 per over.

9:07 PM

Over 15-20

Rajitha finally gets his revenge as Gayle edges a ball and Vandersay at slips takes the catch. Hetmyer was setn back to pavilion too after Dhananjaya de Silva's direct hit had him stunned as he was mid way the crease but miles away from returning on time. Windies skipper Jason Holder joins Nicholas Pooran but it seems the match is already away from their grasp, although it's a different thing that it was never in their grasp.

8:42 PM

WICKET!! Gayle departs!

Just as Chris Gayle looks to attack Rajitha again, he gets a top edge and is caught at slips !! Rajitha gets his revenge!! 

8:39 PM

Over 10-15

Gayle picks an easy target to launch the attack as Kasun Rajitha bowls his first over, the Windies, however, could not intimidate the youngster much as he concedes six runs despite an animated over. Gayle smashed Rajitha for a six, his first in many attempts, as the batsmen accelerate 

8:17 PM

Over 5-10

Malinga and Dhananjaya continue the attack but there are no wickets this time, adding to Widnies' woes, there are no boundaires as Gayle and Hetmyer find temselves trapped in spin and pace combination. Windies are 37-2 in 10 overs and it seems the chase has not even begun yet.

7:59 PM

Over 1-5 Windies lose Hope, Ambris

Malinga keeps Windies batsmen on their toes and scalps Sunil Ambris adn Shai Hope as the Caribbean side reels. Chris Gayle is slent yet again as Dhananjaya has been deployed to keep him on a leash with spin. After 5 overs Windies are 22/2 and it doesn't seem like they are chasing a mammoth target.

7:00 PM

West Indies need 339 runs to win in 50 overs

6:59 PM

Over 50

Over Summary:  4 1 1L 1 2 2   SL: 338/6

Cottrell into his last over and the penultimate over of Lanka innings, Thirimane slams the first ball for a boundary adn single follow

6:54 PM

Over 49

Over Summary:  1 0 2Nb 1 1 0 W   SL: 327/5

Oshane Thomas into his last over, he adds another no ball in Windies' tally, overall, not much boundaries in it as Udana fails to launch and ends up perishing on the last ball as he slogs to long-off where Holder takes a simple catch.

6:49 PM

Over 48 Cottrell removes Fernando

Over Summary:  1 W 2 4 1 0    SL: 321/4

Cottrell continues and  he gets the pried wicket of  Avishka Fernando who had not recovered from celebrations after his maiden ODI ton, the signature salute was on display for the second time in the match. Thirimane, meanwhile, dos not plan to hold back.

6:44 PM

Over 47 Avishka Fernando slams century

Over Summary:  1 1 1L 2 4 0    SL: 313/4

Brathwaite continues, Avishka moves closer to his century and Lankan team merges at the pavilion for the applause, he gets ihis maiden ODI tont finally!! brilliant performance by a promising 21-year-old youngster, and he tops it with a boundary!! 

6:39 PM

Over 46

Over Summary:  1 1 4 1 2 1    SL: 304/4

Oshane Thomas continues, Avishka look to hit big in order to reach his century quickly but all he gets is a single, he gets the strike a ball after, and this time he manages a boundary by easily, Sri Lanka brings up 300 meanwhile, 

6:35 PM

Over 45

Over Summary:  1L 4 4 1 1 2   SL: 294/4

Carlos Brathwaite inot the attack, and Thirimane finally connects the ball and gets two consecutive boundaries, meanwhile, Avishka moves to 90s, another great over for Lanka

6:30 PM

Over 44

Over Summary:  0 1 Nb 1 2 0 1   SL: 281/4

Oshane Thomas returns to attack, and Thirimane did perish by handing a catch, but Thomas had bowled a no-ball and hence, he survives.

6:25 PM

Over 43

Over Summary:  1 6 1L 0 Wd 1 1   SL: 275/4

Cottrell continues, Fernando finally connects and launches the ball for a six to deep mid-wicket and runs continuie to flow