West Indies' Evin Lewis (L) plays a shot during the first Twenty20 international cricket match between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in Dambulla on Sunday. — AFP
A dazzling exhibition of power-hitting from Brandon King and Evin Lewis steered the West Indies to a resounding five-wicket triumph in the opening T20 against Sri Lanka on Sunday. The West Indies achieved the target of 180 with five balls to spare, securing a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The chase commenced with a flurry of boundaries, as the pair accumulated 74 runs within the first six overs, putting Sri Lanka on the back foot. King was the first to notch his half-century, elegantly dispatching a cover drive for four off Matheesha Pathirana. His 50 came off just 25 balls, while Lewis followed suit, reaching his half-century in 27 deliveries. Together, King and Lewis combined for 107 runs in only nine overs for the opening wicket, seizing control of the match. This was the highest partnership for West Indies against Sri Lanka in T20 cricket for any wicket.
The partnership was finally broken when Pathirana outfoxed Lewis with a slower ball, the batsman edging it to Chamindu Wickramasinghe at backward point. King went on to top-score with a blistering 63 off 33 balls, featuring 11 fours and a six. With the openers setting the stage, the middle order simply had to maintain the momentum, picking up singles and taking calculated risks to secure the win. Sri Lanka tried to mount a comeback by taking a few wickets, but the damage inflicted by the opening duo left the hosts in a nearly insurmountable position. All-rounder Roston Chase and captain Rovman Powell steadied the innings, contributing 32 runs for the fourth wicket. Powell fell for 13 in the 17th over, mistiming a straight six attempt off Maheesh Theekshana to Wanindu Hasaranga at long-on. Chase departed for 19, caught behind off Pathirana, but the victory was all but assured.
Despite heavy rain threatening to halt play, the ground staff's prompt actions allowed the game to continue after a 30-minute delay. Earlier, half-centuries by Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka had propelled Sri Lanka to a competitive 179, with the pair sharing an 82-run stand off 54 balls for the fourth wicket. However, it proved inadequate against the explosive West Indian openers, who dismantled Sri Lanka's bowling attack from the outset. The West Indies are currently ranked third in the global T20 rankings, while Sri Lanka sits in eighth place. The remaining two T20s against the West Indies, also at Dambulla, will be played on October 15 and 17, before the teams head to Pallekele for a three-match ODI series.
