PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Shivnarine Chanderpaul hoisted Chaminda Vaas for a six off the final ball of the match to lift West Indies to an exciting one-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Digicel One-Day International at the Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday.
 
The hosts seemed subjected to defeat when ten runs were required from the last two balls, but Chanderpaul, who finished unbeaten on 62, came up trumps as West Indies achieved a target of 236 for the loss of nine wickets.
 
The reliable left-hander drove left-arm pacer Vaas to the mid-off boundary from the penultimate ball, prompting hopes of an unlikely win among a large crowd and when the final ball was pitched on his legs, he lifted it over mid-wicket to the delight of jubilant spectators.
 
West Indies started the 49th over needing 17 from the last two overs and were put under pressure when Sulieman Benn was unable to score a run from the first five balls of a tight over from fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara.
 
Benn was run out from the fifth ball, but Chanderpaul maintained hope with a boundary off the last ball which deflected from the bowler through mid-on
 
Last man Fidel Edwards was kept scoreless from the first ball of the final over and when singles came off the next three balls, West Indies were up against it, but Chanderpaul sealed a memorable win for the hosts four days after he played a vital role in helping them win the second Test at the same venue.
 
He followed up his unbeaten 86 with another undefeated innings in which he faced 63 balls and also struck five fours.
 
West Indies were put on course for victory with two successive half-century partnerships at the start of the innings, but three quick wickets made things interesting and tight bowling from off-spinner Ajantha Mendis later in the innings set up the exciting finish.
 
Captain Chris Gayle, who showed aggression at times during his 52 off 81 balls, dominated an opening partnership of 53 in 13.3 overs with Devon Smith, and also put on 56 in 13.3 overs for the second wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan before West Indies lost three wickets for one run.
 
Smith became the first of three wickets for Kulasekara who also removed Sarwan and Marlon Samuels. After Gayle fell lbw to Mendis, Kulasekara induced Sarwan into edging a catch to the keeper after contributing 35, while Samuels was lbw first ball to continue a recent lean period.
 
Dwayne Bravo joined Chanderpaul to add 59 in a key partnership, slamming 36 off 37 balls before he was run out. His knock came after a career-best haul of four for 32 and he was named Man-of-the-Match.
 
After Bravo fell, Mendis, who took three for 39 in ten overs, kept Sri Lanka in the hunt as the wickets of Patrick Browne, Jerome Taylor and Benn brought the match down to the wire.
 
When Sri Lanka batted, a record sixth-partnership between Chamara Kapugedera and Chamara Silva allowed to them to recover from an early collapse. After they were sent in and were struggling on 49 for five in the 15th over, Kapugedera and Silva came together to add 159.
 
Kapugedera, one of seven Sri Lankans drafted in for the limited-overs matches, batted purposefully for 95 off 117 balls that included seven fours and three sixes.
 
Silva offered valuable support for his 67 off 96 balls before Bravo ended the partnership with a good high catch by Gayle at mid-wicket in the 47th over.
 
The stand by Kapugedera and Silva bettered Sri Lanka’s previous best sixth wicket partnership in One-Day Internationals – 133 between Marvan Atapattu and Russell Arnold against India in 2005.
 
The tourists’ problems started in the second over when debutant Mahela Udawatte was bowled by a yorker from fast bowler Edwards without scoring.
 
After Kumar Sangakkara made 23 from 24 balls, he was caught at point by Bravo off pacer Taylor to start a slide in which four wickets fell for 11 runs.
 
Bravo took his first wicket when opener Upul Thanaga was bowled off the inside edge for ten as he attempted a drive and his second came one run later as captain Mahela Jayawardene was also caught at point from a square-drive.
 
The pressure on Sri Lanka was sustained as Bravo had Tillakaratne Dilshan caught by wicketkeeper Browne for two.
 
After Kapugedera and Silva consolidated, Kapugedera hit out at the death when he lifted debutant left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn for sixes over midwicket and over the bowler’s head in the 46th over. He also hit a six off Edwards over long-off in the 48th over.
 
Kapugedera was denied a century by Edwards in the final over, falling lbw attempting to sweep.

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