AP, Colombo :
Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed three sixes and six boundaries in a 32-ball 59 on Sunday as Sri Lanka held on to defeat West Indies in the first ODI by one wicket under the Duckworth-Lewis method with seven balls to spare.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and asked West Indies to bat first at R. Premadasa Stadium in the three-match series. West Indies made 159-8 in its rain-shortened 26-over innings and Sri Lanka needed 163 to win the one-day international under the D-L method.
The hosts reached the target nine wickets down when tailender Ajantha Mendis took advantage of a free-hit to smash a six off part-time bowler Johnson Charles. Sri Lanka finished on 164-9 in 24.5 overs.
Sri Lanka started its chase aggressively and looked on course to win the match easily. Dilshan and Kusal Perera scored at nearly 10 runs per over in a 46-run stand for the opening wicket in 29 deliveries.
Perera (14) was run out to a sharp direct hit by Jonathan Carter.
Sri Lanka was comfortably paced on 89-1 at one stage but West Indies bowlers looked to sneak back with important breakthroughs.
Lahiru Thirmanne (17) was caught by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin off Carlos Brathwaite. Diishan’s innings ended in the same fashion, leaving Sri Lanka 104-3 off 12.5 overs.
West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, playing his first international match in more than a year, took three wickets in the 19th over to turn the match in his team’s favor.
He had Milinda Siriwardana (7) caught by Brathwaite and bowled out newcomers Shehan Jayasuriya (0) and Danushka Gunathilaka (12) as Sri Lanka slumped to 133-7.
Carter brought victory even nearer with two blows in the 24th over, dismissing Sachithra Senanayake (7) and Lasith Malinga (0) in successive balls to leave Sri Lanka 152-9.
However, West Indies captain Jason Holder was compelled to use a part-time bowler due to an injury to seam bowler Andre Russell – and this proved decisive.
Charles gave away two runs off a no-ball and Mendis hit a six off a free-hit to seal the game. He was unbeaten on 21.
Narine, who had opted out of this year’s World Cup after concerns were raised over his bowling action, returned 3-21.
