WI lose final ODI

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CMC):

Darren Bravo led the way with 79 and Ramnaresh Sarwan scored 51, but failed to save West Indies from a 26-run defeat in the third and final one-day international (ODI) against Sri Lanka yesterday.

The defeat condemned West Indies to being swept 2-0 in the three-match series, after the first ODI ended in a no-result because of rain at the same venue last week Monday, three days before they lost the second ODI by eight wickets.

Bravo struck nine fours and one six from 91 balls and Sarwan gathered three fours and a six from 66 balls as West Indies, chasing 278 for victory, were dismissed for 251 with six balls remaining in their allocation of 50 overs at the Singhalese Sports Club.

Bravo and Sarwan added 125 for the third wicket to lead a West Indies recovery, following the early departures of Chris Gayle and Adrian Barath for ducks.

Carlton Baugh Jr beefed up the total with a late flurry of 49 from 54 balls and Dwayne Bravo, Darren's elder brother, made 32.

The result was formalised when Sulieman Benn was caught at short third man for six and became the last of four wickets for mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, in 10 overs that cost 46 runs.

West Indies lived to regret their decision to field when Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, hit the top score of 75, which earned him the Man-of-the-Match award and led his side to 277 for nine from their 50 overs.

Most successful bowler

Benn was West Indies' most successful bowler with a career-best four for 38 from his 10 overs.

He was overshadowed, however, by Sri Lanka's strong batting, which saw Mahela Jayawardene score 44, Upul Tharanga make 39, which helped to earn him the Man-of-the-Series award, Angelo Matthews not out on 36 and Tillakaratne Dilshan get 30.

West Indies then had a horrific start when Dilhara Fernando bowled Chris Gayle for a duck with the first ball of the chase and Adrian Barath was caught behind also for a duck off Thisara Perera in the second over.

The visitors were reeling on nought for two when Sarwan joined Darren Bravo and they diligently gave backbone to the innings with some classy batting.

Darren Bravo reached his 50 from 56 balls, when he edged a cut off Mathews to third man for his seventh boundary.

Sarwan was a stable influence at the other end and steadily reached his 50 from 62 balls with a single to mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath in the 23rd over.

Two overs later, Sarwan fell, when Herath trapped him lbw to typical West Indies mid-innings crisis.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was caught at slip off Mendis for three in the following over, the younger Darren Bravo was lbw to the second ball of the 32nd over from Perera, who also had West Indies captain Darren Sammy caught at mid-wicket four balls later for three to finish with three for 36 from nine overs.

Late fightback

West Indies were 159 for six, but the elder Bravo, Dwayne, and Baugh appeared willing to stage a late fightback.

They were unable, however, and Fernando made the breakthrough when Bravo lofted a slower ball to long-on and finished with two for 45 from his 10 overs.

A stand of 41 between Baugh and Nikita Miller put some sting in the West Indies' tail, but Mendis ensured it did not bite the Sri Lankans too painfully, when he removed them and Benn to wrap things up.

Earlier, West Indies were put on the defensive, when Thuranga and Dilshan paved the way for Sri Lanka's challenging total with an opening stand of 54.

The visitors continued to feel the anguish when Jayawardene joined Sangakkara and Sri Lanka's two most reliable batsmen added 95 for the third wicket.

Ravi Rampaul made the breakthrough when Jayawardene was caught at short fine leg in the 38th over and the home team laboured to 244 for eight in the 47th over.

But West Indies were outgunned in the last two overs, when Mathews clattered two fours off Sammy in the penultimate over and smote a six in the final over from the Dwayne Bravo in raising another 27 - notably one run more than his side's margin of victory.

The two sides will now get themselves together for the ICC Cricket World Cup, which the Sri Lankans will co-host with India and Bangladesh.

SRI LANKA (maximum 50 overs)

U. Tharanga b Benn 39T. Dilshan c wkpr Baugh b D.J. Bravo 30+K. Sangakkara b Benn 75M. Jayawardene c Miller b Rampaul 44C. Kaupgedera b Benn 17T. Samaraweera st Baugh b Benn 4T. Perera c wkpr Baugh b D.J. Bravo 6A. Mathews not out 36R. Herath run out (Miller) 2A. Mendis run out (D.J. Bravo) 8Extras: (lb7, w9) 16TOTAL: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 277

D. Fernando did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-54 (Dilshan, 8.2 overs); 2-92 (Tharanga, 18.6); 3-187 (Jayawardene, 37.6); 4-205 (+Sangakkara, 40.1); 5-216 (Samaraweera, 42.1); 6-227 (Kapugedera, 44.1); 7-239 (Perera, 45.4); 8-244 (Herath, 46.5); 9-277 (Mendis, 49.6)

Bowling: Rampaul 5-0-44-1 (w2);Sammy 10-1-61-0 (w1); D.J. Bravo 10-0-58-2 (w2); Gayle 10-0-34-0 (w3); Benn 10-1-38-4 (w1); Miller 5-0-35-0

WEST INDIES (target: 278 off 50 overs)

C. Gayle b Fernando 0A. Barath c wkpr Sangakkara b Perera 0D.M. Bravo lbw b Perera 79R. Sarwan lbw b Herath 51S. Chanderpaul c Jayawardene b Mendis 3D.J. Bravo c Perera b Fernando 32D. Sammy c Mendis b Perera 3+C. Baugh c Samaraweera b Mendis 49N. Miller c Mathews b Mendis 13S. Benn c Samaraweera b Mendis 6R. Rampaul not out 0Extras: (b1, lb4, w10) 15TOTAL: (all out, 49 overs) 251

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Gayle, 0.1 overs); 2-0 (Barath, 1.6); 3-125 (Sarwan, 24.3); 4-128 (Chanderpaul, 25.2); 5-155 (D.M. Bravo, 31.2); 6-159 (Sammy, 31.6); 7-195 (D.J. Bravo, 39.1); 8-236 (Miller, 46.2); 9-251 (+Baugh, 48.4)

Bowling: Fernando 10-1-45-2 (w2); Perera 9-2-36-3; Mathews 6-0-33-0 (w2); Mendis 10-1-46-4 (w4); Kapugedera 1-0-7-0 (w1); Dilshan 3-0-25-0; Herath 10-0-54-1 (w1)

Result: Sri Lanka won by 26 runs

Series: Sri Lanka win three-match series 2-0

Toss: West Indies

Man-of-the-Match: K. Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

Man-of-the-Series: U. Tharanga (Sri Lanka)

Umpires: A. De Silva, B. Oxenford

TV umpire: T. Wijewardene

Matchreferee: A. Pycroft

Reserve umpire: G. Dissanayake.