PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels featured in an exhilarating century partnership to inspire West Indies to a series-winning victory over Sri Lanka in the second Digicel One-Day International at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday.
 
With the home team under pressure at 18 for three chasing a target of 125 in 25 overs, Chanderpaul and Samuels tore into the bowling as West Indies won a rain-affected match by seven wickets with 4.3 overs remaining under the Duckworth/Lewis method.
 
Sri Lanka, sent in, made 112 for five in 30.3 overs before rain interrupted for the second time in the match to force a three-hour delay and a revised West Indies’ target.
 
The unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 107 in 14.4 overs between Chanderpaul and Samuels carried West Indies to victory for the loss of three wickets in 20.3 overs before a sell-out crowd of more than 18,000.
 
The left-handed Chanderpaul sustained his rich form with a commanding unbeaten 52 from 42 balls and Samuels put a recent lean period behind him to blast undefeated 54 off 49 balls.
 
It was West Indies’ second successive victory – following their exciting one-wicket win off the final ball two days earlier – and it gave them an unassailable 2-0 series lead before the final match on Tuesday.
 
West Indies’ early problems were caused by fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara who claimed three wickets in a telling new ball burst in which he removed Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
 
Bravo, used in a role of make-shift opener, was bowled for two by a ball that cut back and Gayle, who tried to be aggressive, followed soon for 11 when he gave a catch to mid-on.
 
A fired up Kulasekara trapped Sarwan lbw for one to give Sri Lanka a chance, but Chanderpaul and Samuels counter-attacked to quickly take the match out of the tourists’ grasp.
 
Chanderpaul was devastating when he lashed medium-pacer Kaushalya Weeraratne through the on-side for four, six and four in successive balls, while Samuels also joined the action.
 
Man-of-the-Match Chanderpaul was the first to arrive at his half-century – that followed his unbeaten 62 in the first match – and his knock contained thee fours and two sixes.
 
Samuels also reached the landmark just before victory was attained and his first major score of the season included three sixes and three fours.
 
West Indies started their run-chase at 4 p.m. following a lengthy delay because of rain that first stopped play after 24.1 overs when Sri Lanka were 83 for two after they were put in.
 
Sri Lanka suffered a small slump on resumption, slipping from 105 for two on 112 for five.
 
They were given an opening stand of 38 in 8.3 overs between Upul Tharanga and Mahela Udawatte and it was followed by a second wicket partnership of 40 in 14 overs between Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara.
 
Sri Lanka, however, were kept in check against the steady bowling of Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell and Dwayne Bravo.
 
Taylor struck first blood to remove Udawatte to a catch at point by Sewnarine Chattergoon after the ball was in the air for a long time.
 
Tharanga made 40 off 82 balls with five fours, but was slowed down as he went on and it led to a drop in the scoring rate. He fell just before the first shower when Taylor held a good catch at third-man off Bravo.
 
After the resumption, Sangakkara, who did not flow during his 28 off 51 balls, gave a catch to short fine-leg when he attempted to sweep a full-toss from off-spinner Gayle.
 
Weeraratne, sent in as a pinch-hitter at No. 4, got to 15 off 20 balls before giving a catch to backward point from a square-drive off fast medium bowler Darren Sammy.
 
Gayle sustained the pressure with his second wicket by bowling Chamara Silva with a ball of full length just as the rain came again.
 
West Indies made three changes from the team that won the opening match with Sewnarine Chattergoon, Denesh Ramdin and Daren Powell replacing Devon Smith, an ill Patrick Browne and Sulieman Benn.
 
Sri Lanka made one change with Weeraratne coming in for Ishara Amerasinghe.
 
The two teams travel to St Lucia on Sunday ahead of their day/night match at the Beausejour Stadium on Tuesday..