Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera scored half-centuries to guide Sri Lanka to a nine-wicket win in the third and final Twenty20 international and clinch their first-ever series victory over the West Indies on Thursday.
Sri Lanka scored 166 for just one wicket with two overs to spare after the tourists put up 162-8 at Rangiri Dambulla Stadium. Rovman Powell had won the toss and elected to bat first.
Sri Lanka began its chase with openers Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka adding 60 runs for the first wicket.
Nissanka (39) was bowled by spinner Gudakesh Motie.
Then Mendis and Perera added an unbeaten 106 runs for the second wicket and took their team home. It was Sri Lanka’s first Twenty20 bilateral series win against the West Indies.
Mendis was unbeaten on 68 from 50 deliveries including three sixes and five boundaries. Perera took 36 deliveries for his 55 runs which included seven boundaries.
Earlier, Motie scored 32 off 15 to accelerate West Indies’ scoring rate, hitting three sixes and a boundary. Powell scored 37 off 27 also hitting three sixes and a boundary.
Spin bowlers Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga took two wickets each for Sri Lanka.
West Indies won the first match by five wickets and Sri Lanka bounced back with a 73-run win in the second.
Mendis was named player of the match. Nissanka, who scored 104 runs in the series, was named the player of the series.
(Yahoo! News)
