The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : West Indies clinches series

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 14, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cricket

West Indies clinches series

CRICKET / Chanderpaul, Samuels come good

PORT-OF-SPAIN: Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels hit unbeaten half centuries on Saturday to pilot West Indies to a series-clinching seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the rain-shortened second one-day cricket at Queen’s Park Oval.

Veteran Chanderpaul, hero of the opening match win, struck 52 not out off 42 balls and shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 107 off 88 balls with Samuels.

The West Indies, chasing a revised target of 125 off 25 overs, reached the mark with 4.3 overs to spare.

Return to form

Samuels returned to form with an undefeated 54 off 49 deliveries. The right-hander hit three sixes and three fours.

The pair rescued the home team from 18 for three in the sixth over as Nuwan Kulasekara (three for 28) sliced through the top order.

Sri Lanka had earlier limped to 112 for five off 30.3 overs either side of an hour-long rain delay. Upul Tharanga top-scored with 40 off 81 balls but the visitor was stalled by the rain at 83 for two off 24.1 overs.

On resumption, Sri Lanka lost three quick wickets before heavy rain returned and caused a delay of almost four hours.

Captain Chris Gayle grabbed two cheap wickets as the home team seized the advantage before the second delay.

Earlier, openers Tharanga and Mahela Udawatte gave the visitor an encouraging start after Gayle chose to bowl in overcast conditions. — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport