Sri Lanka win series in record run chase

Sri Lanka overhauled an imposing total of 312 for four on Sunday to defeat West Indies by four wickets and take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in th...

Sri Lanka overhauled an imposing total of 312 for four on Sunday to defeat West Indies by four wickets and take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match one-day series.

A gutsy 89 off 71 balls by Upul Chandana and sloppy fielding by West Indies were important factors in a stubborn fightback by the touring team. Sri Lanka needed 18 runs off the last 12 balls but fast bowler Vasbert Drakes went for 14 in a costly penultimate over.

Tillakaratne Dilshan wrapped up the game and the series with a boundary as Sri Lanka reached their target of 313 with three balls to spare.

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Skipper Brian Lara’s innings of 116 had carried the West Indies to a record one-day score at the Kensington Oval ground. But Sri Lanka went one better to equal their previous best when chasing a target in a one-day international.

Brief scores: West Indies 312 for 4 in 50 overs (C Gayle 94, B.Lara 116, M.Samuels 56 no, Vaas 1/33, Nissanka 1/67) lost to Sri Lanka 313 for 6 in 49.3 overs (Jayasuriya 41, Kaluwitharana 34, Atapattu 47, Sangakkara 31, Chandana 89, Jayawardene 32; Collymore 1/51, Samuels 1/50, Drakes 2/49) by 4 wkts.