5 Talking Points of Sri Lanka vs West Indies 1st T20 Match at Pallekele

5 Talking Points of Sri Lanka vs West Indies 1^st T20 Match at Pallekele: After facing a humiliating clean sweep at the ODI series, West Indies wanted to salvage some pride at the first T20 international played in Pallekele but Sri-Lanka once again outplayed them at all departments and eventually won the first T20 match. On winning the toss visitors opted to field first in order to restrict Sri-Lanka at a modest total but Sri-Lanka had some other plans in their mind. After putting a huge total in board, Lankans bowled out West Indies at 185 in 19.5 deliveries to win the 1^st T20 match by 30 runs.

Lankan batsmen created run-riot at the Pallekele and eventually hit every bowler for 10-12 runs per over barring Sunil Naraine who produced an excellent spell of 4-0-20-1 picking up the important wicket of dangerous looking S Jayasuriya who had to depart after scoring 22-ball 36 with 2 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of around 164.

1. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Blitzkrieg:

Sri-Lanka’s ace opener didn’t do much at the recently concluded ODI series considering the kind of expectations that are always from him, but Dilshan left no stone unturned today and gave a solid 91-run partnership with Kusal Perera for the first wicket. He scored 56 runs off just 37 balls with 8 fours before getting bowled out off Pollard.

2. Angelo Mathews’ Brilliance:

When Angelo Mathews joined Chandimal on the other end, Sri-Lanka were 155 for 3 at 16.2 overs with just 20 more deliveries to be bowled. But Mathews’ brilliant knock of 37 Not Out (13b, 4s x 2, 6s x 4) brought Sri-Lanka to a winning total. He maintained an astonishing strike rate of around 285 before finishing the last ball of the Sri-Lankan innings in style hitting a fine boundary at the leg side. 

3. Chandimal and Mathews Partnership:

Though, Mathews’ powerful performance stole the show, but Chandimal also contributed well hitting stunning knock of 40* off 19 balls with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes at a strike rate of around 211. Chandimal came at a time when Sri-Lanka lost both the openers in quick succession. He first added 54-run partnership with Shehan Jayasuriya and then again added an unbroken partnership of superfast 60 with Mathews to consolidate Sri-Lanka’s scorecard. 

4. Andre Fletcher Shines:

West Indies opener Johnson Charles got dismissed at the very first over of the match for a duck when he completely missed Malinga’s Yorker delivery. But Fletcher remained unperturbed and hit big shots all across the ground. He hammered so many shots down the ground that even Sri-Lankans looked bit weary and nervous until his dismissal. Fletcher played a spectacular knock of 57 (25b, 4s x 3, 6s x 6) at a strike rate of around 228 before Chameera dismissed him caught out. 

5. Senanayake’s 4 for 46:

Nobody would say that West Indies were completely out of the game even after Sri-Lanka’s mammoth total to chase considering their strong batting line up. But they did a big mistake by underestimating the spinning deliveries of Senanayake that prompted them to hit on the air and ended up at the hands of Lankan fielders. Young Senanayake emerged hero with the ball as he produced his career best spell of 4-0-46-4 in this match.