Two runs short

IN THE GLORY days of West Indies cricket, clean sweeps were commonplace.
But not so with this masters outfit as they fell two runs short of a third consecutive victory in the World Masters Twenty20 CLOBI Cup at Kensington Oval on Sunday night.
The upshot was that their determined opponents Sri Lanka prevailed and will now meet the West Indies again in today’s final at 8 p.m.
for a winner-take-all first prize of US$50 000.
Credit must be given to Sri Lanka, as they recovered from the early discomfort of 13
for three and later 61 for five to post a respectable 157 for five in their 20 overs.
This was due to an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 96 in 11.3 overs between Man Of The Match Russell Arnold (57 not out – 4×4, 1×6, 50 balls) and Upul Chandika (49 not out – 3×4, 1×6, 37 balls).
The Windies, despite half-centuries from Barbadians Sherwin Campbell (59 – 6×4, 45 balls) and Floyd Reifer (54 – 3×4, 2×6, 45 balls) in a 108-run third-wicket alliance, left it a bit too late to go into high gear and were stalled at 155 for six.
They needed 16 runs from the final over bowled by Eric Upashantha but after starting with a wide, the tall fast bowler hit a good length, not freeing up Mahendra Nagamootoo for any big hits.
The only boundary came off the final ball of the match with seven runs needed after Ryan Hurley’s attempted heave for a six over cover off the penultimate ball was caught by Chaminda Vaas inside the boundary.
And the best crowd of the competition so far, over 5 000 spectators, left without seeing their favourite, Carl Hooper, bat, as he injured his shoulder trying to take a catch in the deep off the last ball of Sri Lanka’s innings.
That innings was in tatters following Vasbert Drakes’ double strike with his first two deliveries.
Using the new ball with Curtly Ambrose rested, Drakes induced opener Romesh Kaluwitharana to edge a shoulder-high catch to Hooper at first slip, while Aravinda de Silva’s drive was caught by Rawl Lewis at mid-off.
Captain Courtney Walsh then had dangerman Sanath Jayasuriya caught on the square-leg boundary by Reifer, while Nagamootoo’s stinging catch at a short extra cover accounted for Marvan Atapattu, also off Walsh.
Saman Jayantha was bowled in Neil McGarrell’s first over but the Windies bowlers failed to repeat Saturday’s clinical display when India were routed for 96.
Left-hander Arnold and Chandika steadily revived the innings and even though both limping batsmen required a runner, such a handicap didn’t stop each from clouting Hurley for separate sixes in the penultimate over to boost the final total.
Left to score 7.8 runs an over for victory, the West Indies opened with the Grenadian duo of Lewis and wicketkeeper Junior Murray, having his first match after replacing Courtney Browne.
 Lewis hit a six over long-on off the final ball of Chaminda Vaas’ first over but generally struggled. He scored eight off 14 balls before the wily left-arm seam bowler removed the two Spice Isle boys.
By the halfway stage, Campbell and Reifer had taken the score to 61 for two, making the requirement 96 runs off the last ten overs.
Campbell brought up his 50 with a straight-driven four off Arnold and hit the last ball of the same over wide of long-on for another boundary to bring the equation down to 44 off four overs.
Reifer went even better, swinging left-arm spinner Piyal Wijetunge for two sixes over square-leg and midwicket in the next over which cost 17 runs.
It was now down to 27 from 18 balls, but Upashantha came good for Sri Lanka, bowling Reifer in an over where the Windies only got five runs.
Still, 22 runs from two overs were attainable but with no Hooper coming to the crease, Jayasuriya only conceded six runs off the penultimate over.
To compound the Windies’ woes, Campbell, now off strike, and Drakes were both run out attempting second runs.
With Ambrose, Stuart Williams and Browne returning to bolster the team, the Windies will try to turn the tables in today’s final, and Bajan fans will be hoping Hooper is fit enough to play.
SCOREBOARD:
Sri Lanka
S. Jayasuriya c Reifer b Walsh    4
+R. Kaluwitharana c Hooper b Drakes    2
A. de Silva c Lewis b Drakes    0
*M. Atapattu c Nagamootoo b Walsh    17
R. Arnold not out    57
S. Jayantha b McGarrell    16
U. Chandika not out    49
Extras (lb4, nb2, w6)    12
TOTAL (5 wkts – 20 overs)    157
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Kaluwitharana, 1.1), 2-5 (de Silva,1.2), 3-13 (Jayasuriya, 4.4), 5-61 (Jayantha, 8.3).
Did not bat: C. Vaas, Wickramaratne,
P. Wijentunge, E. Upashantha,
Bowling: Walsh 4-0-27-2 (w2),
Drakes 3-0-22-2 (w2), Hooper 1-0-9-0 (w1), Bradshaw 1-0-8-0, McGarrell 4-0-26-1, Hurley 4-0-37-0 (w1), Nagamootoo 3-0-24-0 (nb1).
West Indies
R. Lewis c Jayasuriya b Vaas    8
+J. Murray lbw b Vaas    5
F. Reifer b Upashantha    54
S. Campbell run out    59
M. Nagamootoo not out     17
V. Drakes run out    2
R. Hurley c Vaas b Upashantha    0
N. McGarrell not out    0
Extras (lb1, nb1, w8)    10
TOTAL (6 wkts – 20 overs)    155
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Murray, 2.1), 2-27 (Lewis, 4.4), 3-135 (Reifer, 17.5), 4-139 (Campbell, 18.2), 5-142 (Drakes, 18.5),
6-151 (Hurley, 19.5).
Did not bat: C. Hooper, I. Bradshaw,
*C. Walsh.
Bowling: Vaas 4-0-19-2 (w1), Upashantha 4-0-33-2 (w5), Jayantha 4-0-25-0, Wijetunge 2-0-25-0, Jayasuriya 4-0-31-0 (w1, nb1), Arnold 2-0-21-0.
Result: Sri Lanka won by two runs.
Man Of The Match: Russell Arnold
Umpires: John Holder, Patrick Grazette
Toss: West Indies