KINGSTON – Shamar Joseph’s five-wicket haul, coupled with some extraordinary power hitting by Jason Holder, ensured West Indies secured a series-winning five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I in Jamaica on Sunday.
Playing in the decider at Sabina Park, Joseph captured his first-ever T20I five-wicket haul of 5-33 as the home side fought back to dismiss Sri Lanka for 169 in 20 overs after electing to field for the second straight match.
The visitors then seemed headed for victory after reducing the Windies to 53 for four in the ninth over, until Sherfane Rutherford’s unbeaten half-century and Holder’s heroics in the penultimate over lifted them to 170 for five with two balls remaining.
The result helped the West Indies seal a 2-1 win in the three-match series, their third bilateral series win over the Sri Lankans in their last four meetings.
Joseph, who was named Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series after finishing with an incredible 11 wickets, was once again at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s demise.
The visitors didn’t get off to their usual flying start, with Matthew Forde holding onto a spectacular reflex catch to dismiss Kusal Mendis in the second over with only eight runs on the scoreboard.
Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara went about repairing the damage during a 43-run partnership in four overs, until Joseph struck twice in as many balls to break their momentum.
The fast bowler had Nissanka caught at point attempting an ill-advised swipe across the line and then trapped Pavan Rathnayake lbw for a first-ball duck to reduce Sri Lanka to 51 for three.
Roston Chase then removed Mishara for 28, and Akeal Hosein dismissed Kamindu Mendis for 20 to put them in real trouble at 88 for five.
But Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga counterattacked in a stand of 49 in just over four overs that put Sri Lanka in position to finish with a bang at 160 for seven with eight balls remaining in the innings.
However, Joseph put an end to those hopes by snaring the wickets of Wellalage for the topscore of 43 off 28 balls, Maheesh Theekshana for four and Dushmantha Chameera for a first-ball duck, as Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for the addition of nine runs.
A Windies win then seemed unlikely after Hasaranga grabbed two quick wickets to put the visitors in the ascendancy early on.
After West Indies skipper Shai Hope was bowled by left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage for a duck with the third ball of the innings, opener Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer did well to add 51 runs for the second wicket in quick time to see them recover to 52 for one.
But Hasaranga bowled King for 16 and also accounted for the dangerous Hetmyer after he had smashed 32 off just 19 balls, those dismissals sandwiching that of Ackeem Auguste, who was bowled by Maheesh Theekshana for one, as the regional side lost three wickets for one run to slump to 53 for four.
However, Rovman Powell and Rutherford reignited the run chase in a match-winning 81-run partnership off 53 balls that turned the tide in the contest.
With the Windies requiring 60 runs off 24 balls, Powell smashed pacer Dushmantha Chameera for three massive sixes in the 17th over, which yielded 24 runs, before being dismissed with the last ball of the over for 33 off 27 balls.
Holder then essentially sealed the result in the 19th over by hitting Chameera for three massive sixes that brought the equation down to six runs from six balls.
The left-handed Rutherford, who was dropped twice, then brought up his sixth T20I half-century off 39 balls by driving Dasun Shanaka for four off the third ball to tie the scores, before scampering a single off the next ball to give West Indies the win.
Rutherford finished unbeaten on 54 from 40 balls with four sixes and three fours, while Holder ended on 21 not out off just five deliveries.
CMC
Summarised scores
SRI LANKA 169 in 20 overs (Dunith Wellalage 43, Kamil Mishara 28, Wanindu Hasaranga 21, Kamindu Mendis 20; Shamar Joseph 5-33).
WEST INDIES 170-5 in 19.4 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 54 not out, Rovman Powell 33, Shimron Hetmyer 32, Jason Holder 21 not out; Wanindy Hasaranga 2-17).
West Indies won by five wickets.
West Indies win series, 2-1.
