West Indies A level series with thumping win

West Indies A 237 for 6 (Joseph 45, Bandara 3-51) beat Sri Lanka A 184 for 7 (Arnold 78) by 53 runs
Scorecard

West Indies A followed up a solid batting performance with incisive bowling and cruised to a 53-run win in the second unofficial one-dayer against Sri Lanka A at St Kitts.

After piling up a challenging 237 for 6 in 37 overs, in the rain-reduced game, the West Indians restricted Sri Lanka A to 184 for 7 for a handsome victory that avenged Friday's opening-game loss.

A fired up West Indies A decisively toppled the Sri Lankan top order and showed high intensity in the field to prevail without much trouble. Chasing 238, the Sri Lankans made a horrible start, plunging to 2 for 3 against the new-ball pair of Gavin Tonge and Andrew Richardson.

Richardson sent back Avishka Gunawardene caught behind by Patrick Browne in the first over, and Tonge struck in the second over when Mahela Udawatte edged to the wicketkeeper. Tonge snared another crucial wicket in the same over when Jehan Mubarak popped an easy catch to Austin Richards jnr at midwicket.

Jeevan Mendis and captain Russel Arnold staged a partial recovery with a 43-run fourth-wicket stand that ended when Mendis was superbly run out for 15 by Richards jnr. Sri Lanka continued to falter, being reduced to 79 for 6, and it was only a 77-ball 78 from Arnold that lent some respectability to their total. Kaushal Silva and Malinga Bandara combined for an unbroken 45-run eighth-wicket stand at the end but they were always behind the required run-rate and never threatened to reach the target.

Earlier, the West Indians were helped by handy contributions from all their batsmen. Openers Devon Smith and Austin Richards jnr added 64 after they were sent in to bat. Richards lashed 37 - including six boundaries - before he played too early to a delivery and lofted an easy catch to Arnold. Sylvester Joseph and Travis Dowlin linked up for a 64-run third-wicket stand that frustrated the Sri Lankans.

Joseph, coming off a solid 86 in Friday's opening game, led his team's batting again with a top-score of 45. Bandara was the chief wicket-taker for the Sri Lankans with 3 for 51 off eight overs.

Both teams travel Monday for the third game in the series in St Lucia on Wednesday.