Holder, Joseph set up nervy win for West Indies in T20I opener

KINGSTON (CMC):

Pacers Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph starred with the ball,  and  Shai Hope played a captain’s knock to guide West Indies to a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the opening T20 International (T20I) here on Thursday.

Player-of-the-Match Holder and Joseph grabbed three wickets apiece and were responsible for breaking the backbone of the visitor’s batting line-up that saw them being reduced to 147 for nine after electing to bat first at Sabina Park.

Hope then followed up by scoring an unbeaten half-century at the top of the order to see the home side to 149 for three with four balls remaining in the contest.

The result gave the Windies a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with the remaining two matches set to be played today and Sunday.

Their victory was undeniably set up by impressive bowling performances from Holder and Joseph, along with that of offspinner Roston Chase.

The trio strangled Sri Lanka’s batters after they made a superb start inside the powerplay.

Skipper Kusal Mendis was fortunate not to have been dismissed in the second over with just 10 runs on the board, but a diving Sherfane Rutherford could not hold on to a tough chance running in from long leg off the bowling of Matthew Forde.

Mendis made them pay by launching Forde for two sixes in the fourth over that went for 17 runs and propelled Sri Lanka to 39 without loss after four overs.

Holder was introduced into the attack, and Pathum Nissanka was fortunate to top- edge the first delivery over short third man for four.

However, he was bowled off his pad for 18 the very next ball as he tried to make room to hit through the offside.

With his next delivery, Holder trapped Lasith Croospulle leg before wicket for a first- ball duck after a review, to see Sri Lanka slip to 43 for two in the fifth over.

Pavan Rathnayake denied Holder his second T20I hat-trick, but his stay at the crease was limited as he was spectacularly caught by Shimron Hetmyer on the square leg boundary off the bowling of Joseph after scoring just four.

And when Joseph accounted for the wicket of Mendis for 36 off 23 balls in his next over, Sri Lanka were in tatters at 65 for four in the eighth over.

Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka brought the innings back to life in a 59-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but once Chase broke through by dismissing Shanaka for 22, Sri Lanka limped to the finish.

Kamindu Mendis tried his best in his knock of 51 off 39 balls, inclusive of four fours and two sixes, but once he was run out, Holder and Joseph ensured there would be no fireworks at the death.

Holder finished with 3-18, and Joseph took 3-29. Chase was also economical, taking 1-19 from his four overs.

The Windies were then given a blazing start by openers Hope and Brandon King, with the latter riding his luck during an entertaining innings.

King had only scored four when he pulled a delivery from pacer Dushmantha Chameera straight into the hands of midwicket, only for the delivery to be ruled a no-ball.

He was also given out leg before wicket after being struck by fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, but the review showed the ball pitched outside of leg stump.

He settled down after those early scares and together with Hope smashed 66 runs off the first six overs to put the Windies in control.

Against the run of play and with his team cruising, King inexplicably charged at a delivery from spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and was bowled for 37 off 22 balls.

Shimron Hetmyer looked good during his brief stay at the crease. He hit Hasaranga for two fours and a six in his cameo of 17 off nine balls before he hit the same bowler straight down the throat of long on to leave the score 95 for two at the end of nine overs.

Hope eventually brought up his 13th T20I half- century off 38 balls by reverse sweeping Chameera for four.

Roston Chase struggled during his knock of 16 off 26 balls, and it would have come as a relief when he was bowled with 20 runs needed from 20 balls.

Chameera bowled a brilliant penultimate over that only yielded three runs to bring the equation down to six from six and set up an exciting finish.

But Rovman Powell sealed the deal by flicking the second ball of the last over bowled by Madushanka for a massive six over the leg side to spark wild celebrations among the large crowd.