Kusal Mendis hit 72 off 62 to energise Sri Lanka after a slow start, while Pathum Nissanka, Janith Liyanage and Charith Asalanka produced important innings in Sri Lanka’s  advance to 303 for 7. On a Sabina Park surface that took some turn, their total turned out to be 41 too many for West Indies, who began solidly enough, but were ultimately reined in by Sri Lanka’s spinners.

Maheesh Theekshana returned outstanding figures of 2 for 26 as West Indies’ batters frequently failed to to pick his variations, while Wanidu Hasaranga took 1 for 43. The only West Indies batter to cross fifty was captain Shai Hope, who hit 56 from 66 balls. But although there were other contributions, West Indies never managed to put a long partnership together. While Sri Lanka’s spinners squeezed West Indies, Dushmantha Chameera was the strike bowler, claiming 4 for 67 from his 10 overs.

After the teams exited briefly for bad light when West Indies were nine down in the 49th over, they returned to finish the match, the last wicket going down with four balls to spare. Sri Lanka now go 1-0 up in a three-match series.

Having won the toss in a day game, on a surface that had a green tinge to it, West Indies chose to bowl first and appeared at first to be prospering. Jayden Seales dismissed Sri Lanka’s new opener Kamindu Mendis in the the seventh over, and conceded no more than 32 in the powerplay, as Nissanka played with uncharacteristic caution.

Kusal ramped up the scoring soon after arriving at the crease, however. He took an immediate liking to Gudakesh Motie, hitting four sixes down the ground off him in the space of three overs. In the last of those overs – the 20th of the innings – Kusal hit two sixes and a four, as Sri Lanka plundered 18 in total. Motie never bowled again in the innings, with Roston Chase delivering ten tidy overs for two wickets instead. Kusal motored to a 42-ball half century, and had looked good to push on when he attempted to swipe a Matthew Forde full toss to leg, and somehow top-edged it to short fine leg. The 136-run second-wicket stand with Nissanka had put Sri Lanka firmly on track for a score in excess of 300.

Nissanka seemed to struggle by comparison. He was timing the ball poorly by his own standards, as West Indies’ bowlers discovered the Kingston track rewarded slower bowling. But although he had been dropped first ball at cover by Keacy Carty off the bowling of Seales, Nissanka played a largely sensible innings, running hard between the wickets, and finding what boundaries he could, particularly behind square on the leg side. It took him 71 balls to get to his half century, and he was striking at less than 80 when he was dismissed by Chase (via an unusual pad-bat catch to wicketkeeper Hope) for 79.

The hard-running Asalanka and the innovative Liyanage were then on hand to provide some heft and urgency to the final third of Sri Lanka’s innings. Liyanage produced the better of these knocks, hitting 44 not out off 29. Asalanka made 45 off 44. The two put on 64 for the fifth wicket.

West Indies gave themselves a shot of chasing down 304, though it would have been a ground record if they had. They openers had them rocketing to 50 for no loss after six overs, before an excellent pick up and throw from Liyanage ended John Campbell’s innings. West Indies’ other opener Justin Greaves would be out before the powerplay ended too, bowled by Theekshana who pinged his leg stump after Greaves had backed away. And still, while Hope was at the crease, there was a chance West Indies could make a charge at the total.

Ultimately they just lost too many wickets through the middle overs period that Sri Lanka’s batters had dominated. Keacy Carty was caught brilliantly at short midwicket by a diving Kamindu. Hope himself was fooled by a Chameera slower ball and spooned up a simple catch to backward point. From 167 for 5, and the required rate pushing seven, West Indies were always going to struggle. Though there were moments of resistance from the lower order, they folded eventually.

But it is their bowling that will worry West Indies most after this match. They lacked penetration in the middle overs, and the seamers were also too indisciplined, bowling 12 wides, while also straying too frequently into the pads. Although West Indies had four specialist bowlers, allrounder Chase was likely their best bowler on the day.

SCORES:
Sri Lanka 303 for 7  in 50 overs (Pathum Nissanka 79, Kusal Mendis 72, Charith Asalanka 45, Janith Liyanage 44*; Jayden Seals 2-67, Matthew Forde 2-44, Roston Chase 2-47) beat West Indies 262 in 49.2 overs  ( Justin Greaves 45, Shai Hope 56, Roston Chase 33; Dushmantha Chameera 4-67, Asitha Fernando 1-59, Maheesh Theekshana 2-26, Wanidu Hasaranga 1-43, Charith Asalanka 1-06)  by 41 runs

[Cricinfo]