DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka, CMC – A combined batting and bowling effort by West Indies A propelled them to a commanding 165-run victory over Sri Lanka A in the first unofficial One Day International (ODI) at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium here yesterday.
Offspinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar, with a career-best, four-wicket haul, led the demolition of Sri Lanka A for 102 in 32.3 overs after Kyle Hope posted a career best 81 and shared in three important partnerships that spurred West Indies A to 267 for six.
New ball pair of Ronsford Beaton who picked up three wickets and Delorn Johnson two, set up the victory with early wickets that ripped the fight out of the home side.
Captain Jason Mohammed and Rovman Powell triggered late momentum by slamming half centuries as West Indies A cruised to a one-nil lead in the three-match series.
Mohammed’s men resumed the reserve day on 69 for two after rain intervened with the game just 12.5 overs into the innings.
Pope, who put on an opening stand of 40 with Chadwick Walton, held his end to hit a top score of 81 from 112 balls with eight boundaries, his List A career best score.
He featured in three important partnerships around which the innings was constructed-42 for the third wicket with Andre Fletcher who contributed 26 and 63 with Mohammed for the fourth wicket.
Mohammed found the boundary five times to post 58 from 71 balls while Powell raced to 55 from just 35 balls, hitting three fours and as many sixes.
Mohamed and Powell put together 89 runs for the fifth wicket and lost their wickets in the final over after helping West Indies A to compile 93 runs in the last ten overs.
Beaton and Johnson ran through the Sri Lanka A top order, grabbing the first four wickets seven overs into the chase as the homeside tottered to a batting meltdown at 26 for four.
Beaton grabbed two wickets in four balls during the seventh over to finish with three for 26 from 6.3 overs, his best in list A cricket while Johnson ended with two for 19 from four overs.
Only five Sri Lankan batsmen got into double figures with a top score of 24 coming from number eight Shehan Jayasuriya and 20 from opener Danushka Gunathilaka. Jaggesar finished with career-best figures of 4 for 29 after removing Minod Bhanuka for 15 to break Sri Lanka’s highest stand of 23, which Bhanuka scraped together with Charith Asalanka who scored 17. West Indies A and Sri Lanka A meet in the second match in Kurunegala tomorrow before wrapping up the series with the third and final game on Sunday in Colombo.
