Sri Lanka's bowlers clinch 55 run victory

Sri Lanka's tour of the Caribbean started with an emphatic 55-run win at Bridgetown in the first game of the three-match series. Defending a moderate 201-run total after a stop-start performance with the bat, Chaminda Vaas and Prabath Nissanka clinched the game with penetrative new-ball spells. Reduced to 19 for 4 in the first six overs, West Indies never regained the initiative despite a valiant solo effort from Brian Lara, who remained undefeated on 64.

West Indies had come into the game brimming with confidence after three successive wins against Australia. On paper Sri Lanka represented a far lesser challenge, especially considering their indifferent form since the World Cup. The game ran true to form in the first innings, as Sri Lanka's batsmen - with the exception of Romesh Kaluwitharana (54) and Kumar Dharmasena (40) - struggled against West Indies' quick bowlers.

Considering the authoritative manner in which the West Indian top order had knocked off recent Australian targets, Sri Lanka's score of 201 looked light. But Vaas and Nissanka superbly exploited a sudden change in the weather. As heavy clouds closed in around the Kensington Oval, the ball swung around dangerously. The West Indian chase never got off the ground.

Vaas set the tone with an immaculate first over, swinging the ball away from the left-handed Chris Gayle, who was dropped at first slip off the third ball, by Mahela Jayawardene. Nissanka broke through first, as Wavell Hinds, who came into the match on the back of two successive matchwinning hundreds, was bowled behind his legs for a duck. Gayle could not capitalise on his first-over reprieve, nicking a carbon-copy outswinger from Vaas in the next over (4 for 2).

Ricardo Powell, promoted in the line-up as Brian Lara dropped down to the middle order to counter the threat of Muttiah Muralitharan, started with a firm legside clip but never settled. Vaas trapped him leg-before on the back leg with an inswinger that would have knocked back his middle stump (15 for 3).

When Ramnaresh Sarwan crunched a boundary through the offside, Marvan Atapattu positioned Kumar Sangakkara at a short point position. Next ball, Sarwan blazed a similar square-drive off the middle of his bat only to see Sangakkara cling on to a fine head-high catch (19 for 4).

A short break for rain provided West Indies with a chance to regroup, and after the interruption Lara started the repair work with Marlon Samuels. The pair had to negotiate increasing variations in bounce, but they saw off Nissanka and Vaas and grew in confidence as the sun started to shine once more.

Muttiah Muralitharan was eventually introduced into the attack in the 18th over of the innings to resume a longstanding rivalry with Lara. But it was Dharshana Gamage, Sri Lanka's new bald-headed first change seamer, who broke through. Samuels (29) was caught behind off the thick edge as he tried to force powerfully through the offside (73 for 5).

West Indian hopes were left resting on the shoulders on Lara but he needed support. It was not forthcoming. He added 32 runs with Ridley Jacobs before Muralitharan hurried the match towards an early conclusion, taking the wickets of Jacobs, David Bernard and Mervyn Dillon in quick succession to finish with three for 17 from seven overs. West Indies lost their last five wickets for 41 runs to be bowled out for 146. Lara tried to win the match singlehandedly, manipulating the strike as he added 25 runs with Corey Colleymore for the last wicket. He finished with an unbeaten 64 from 130 balls as Colleymore was trapped leg-before by Dilshan.

Earlier, Kaluwitharana had laid the foundations for Sri Lanka's moderate total. Weathering painful blows to his helmet and midriff, he stroked 54 from 75 runs, adding 46 with Marvan Atapattu (22) after the first-over loss of Sanath Jayasuriya, who was wrongly adjudged caught behind.

Lara's decision to introduce Marlon Samuels's part-time offbreaks into the attack in the 10th over conjured up a breakthrough as Atapattu clipped back a simple return catch, as Sri Lanka started to lose their way. Sangakkara (15) was caught at deep point, Mahela Jayawardene (8) top-edged a pull and Kaluwitharana was run-out to leave Sri Lanka in trouble on 112 for 5.

West Indies, however, couldn't land the winning punch. Tillakaratne Dilshan (27) and Dharmasena repaired the damage with a workmanlike 59-run stand for the sixth wicket. Despite the loss of the last five wickets for 30 runs, Sri Lanka had scrambled together sufficient runs to complete a timely morale-boosting win.