BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – There was no dream end to the CLOBI Cup International Masters Twenty20 Championship for West Indies as they went down to Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final on Tuesday night.
Chasing a challenging 176 for victory, left-hander Floyd Reifer slammed 54 but it was not enough as the hosts limped to 156 for eight when their overs ran out at Kensington Oval.
In the preceding third place playoff, India beat England by eight runs.
Playing before a large crowd at the historic venue, Sri Lanka rattled up 175 for eight from their allotted overs after they were sent in.
Russell Arnold top-scored with 58 from 38 balls with four fours and a six while Marvan Atapattu stroked 34 from 25 balls, and powerful opener Sanath Jayasuriya scored 28 from 17 balls.
Fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh was the best of the bowlers, snaring three for 36 from his four overs.
West Indies were off to a poor start when they lost Rawl Lewis to a first-ball “duck” off the second ball of the innings with the score on one.
Stuart Williams lashed three fours in a 14-ball 20 before he perished in the fourth over, and Sherwin Campbell (7) and Courtney Browne (3) fell within the space of five balls to leave the Windies on 50 for four in the eighth over.
Reifer and Ryan Hurley (12) added 30 from 19 balls for the fifth wicket before Reifer and Mahendra Nagamootoo (13) posted another 34 off 24 balls for the sixth wicket.
Reifer, who hit five fours, and Nagamootoo fell in successive overs as Windies tumbled to 116 for seven in the 16th over and despite Vasbert Drakes’ 28 from 20 balls with one four and two sixes, the challenge proved too much.
Earlier, Vikram Rathour narrowly missed out on a century with 98 while Amay Khurasiya hit an unbeaten 66, as India rattled up 191 for three.
In response, England fell just short with 183 for five, with Paul Nixon getting 46, Philip DeFreitas striking 45 and Dominic Cork scoring 40.
