West Indies beats Sri Lanka in a thriller

Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit the last two balls for a four and six to swing West Indies to a thrilling one-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the opening one-day international on Thursday.

Chanderpaul lashed an unbeaten 62 off 63 balls to guide the home team to 236 for nine off 50 overs at
Queen's Park Oval. Sri Lanka made 235-7 on the back of a career-best 95 from Chamara Kapugedera.

Sri Lanka was on target for victory in the last over when veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas conceded just three runs from the first four balls with West Indies needing 13 runs.

But Chanderpaul fashioned a remarkable finish by smacking a four past mid-off from the penultimate delivery. The 33-year-old then swung a low full toss over midwicket, just clearing Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene on the rope to send a crowd of 13,000 into a frenzy.

I don't know what to say at this particular time, West Indies captain Chris Gayle said. There were a few heart failures but Shiv took it home there in the end.

West Indies' reply began positively through Gayle, who made a gritty 52 off 81 balls. Gayle shared partnerships of 53 with Devon Smith and 56 with Ramnaresh Sarwan to give his side the initiative at 109-1 in the 27th over.

But debutant spinner Ajantha Mendis and seamer Nuwan Kulasekara turned the match around, taking three wickets for one run. Mendis, who took three for 39, claimed Gayle to a lbw verdict while Kulasekara removed Sarwan for 35 and Marlon Samuels for a first-ball duck.

Sarwan edged to the wicketkeeper while a leaden-footed Samuels was plainly leg before.
Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo revived West Indies in a fifth-wicket stand of 59 off 61 balls.

But Bravo's lively 36 off 25 balls was ended by a run out and the balance shifted again. Bravo, who earlier took a career-best four for 32, lashed three fours and a six.

Chanderpaul got little assistance after that as Patrick Browne (15) holed out to Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mendis accounted for Darren Sammy and Jerome Taylor. Kulasekara (three for 43) conceded just four runs off the penultimate over in which West Indies lost its ninth wicket, and Sri Lanka closed in on victory.

Chanderpaul brought up his half century in that over and, with dogged assistance from last man Fidel Edwards, scripted a dramatic ending.

Earlier, Kapugedera and Chamara Silva (67) shared a record sixth-wicket stand of 159 to rebuild the Sri Lankan innings after it slipped to 49-5. The 21-year-old Kapugedera lashed seven fours and three sixes off 116 balls. Silva smashed seven fours off 96 balls.

Fast bowler Fidel Edwards gave West Indies an excellent start after Gayle sent in the visitors.
He removed the off stump of debutant Mahela Udawatte for a duck with the total on 2.

Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara added 36 for the second wicket before West Indies strangled the Sri Lankans with four wickets in six overs.

Taylor claimed Sangakkara for 23 when the ace left-hander slashed to backward point where Bravo hauled in an easy catch.

Bravo wrecked the innings with his bowling as Tharanga, Jayawardene and Dilshan perished cheaply.
Kapugedera arrived to join Silva in the 15th over and, despite some early discomfort against the short ball, rebuilt the innings.

The right-handers broke Sri Lanka's sixth-wicket record partnership of 133 between Marvan Atapattu and Russel Arnold against India in Vadodara in 1993.

Bravo separated them near the end when Silva swatted to midwicket where Gayle held a leaping catch.
Kapugedera had a maiden one-day hundred in his sights but fell off the penultimate delivery when he was leg before to Edwards.