that's the game folks. Only way this game could have ended really. This is in the slot for Holder, pitching too full outside off stump. He clears the leg and thwacks it hiiigh over wide long on for six. West Indies have taken this crazy first game
West Indies vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I at Coolidge, WI v SL, Mar 03 2021 - Match Result
West Indies won by 4 wickets (with 41 balls remaining)
That's it from us folks, at the end of a bizarre but compelling first match between these two teams. Madushka Balasuriya's report should be in soon. We'll be back with you for the second T20, in a little less than 48 hours' time. Take it easy.
Pollard again: "Kudos to the bowling line up for restricting them to 132. We started off pretty well and faltered in the middle with the hat-trick coming there. But we backed ourselves. If hitting sixes is our strength, we want to capitalise on our strengths. The series is going to be their spinners against our batters. We're not going to hide from that reality. It's about time that we start winning cricket games. We've tried to give guys opportunities with an eye on the World Cup. But we need to win cricket games, so we have to balance it."
Mathews: "At the start if was really good batting by Nissanka and Dickwella. We didn't assess the conditions after the first few overs. 160 would have been a good score on this. I knew we needed wickets to win this game. Had that catch been taken it would have been an interesting match. But mistakes do happen.
I though Akila and Wanindu Hasaranga bowled brilliantly - they had the batsmen guessing. That's a plus point.
Pollard as we know is very destructive. What I told Akila was to go for his wicket even if he gets hit for six sixes. If he miscued one we could have got him out. Unfortunately it didn't happen."
Abhinav : "Who knew an innings of 4 of 17 balls is just what a team would need in a T20 match while chasing "
Pollard, who is player of the match: "I felt I could hit six sixes after the third one. I did it in the Super 50 as well. I just backed myself. Once I had five sixes I knew I had the bowler on the back foot. He was going around the wicket and it was difficult for him. I just told myself: go for it"
What an incredible chase - one in which West Indies flexed their batting power, and suggested that phenomena such as momentum don't really apply to a team with such extraordinary gifts. When Akila Dananjaya took that hat-trick, you could sense that Sri Lanka had a chance of defending their poor total. But within the space of a few balls, Kieron Pollard had pounded them out of the game, taking the same bowler for six sixes.
Wanindu Hasaranga gave Sri Lanka another sniff, but a dropped catch off Holder (again off the bowling of Dananjaya) prevented the match from having a final twist.
Nuwan Pradeep comes into the attack for the first time.
another good legbreak, pitching on off stump. Bravo manages to play it back down the pitch
slower through the air, and it rips off the surface, having pitched outside off. Bravo lets it go
flatter through the air, pitches on the stumps and straightens. Holder gets back and hits it down to long on
even loopier through the air, but a little fuller. Holder drives but hits straight to cover
tossed up, pitching on off stump. Holder blocks it.
floats this onto leg stump.Bravo gets down and sweeps it down to fine leg
Numan mahmud: "This wi team seriously needs a guy call Shai Hope who can rotate the strike"
Ashen Bandara to bowl his leggies.
good bouncer to finish. Passes by Holder's head at 141kph, and Dickwella has to climb to his fullest height to pull that one down
a bit of width outside off as Chameera tries another slower ball, and Holder doesn't hold back this time, flaying it through the covers to beat the diving efforts of the sweeper. Rocked back quickly to latch on to that one.
145kph back of a length ball, hard into the pitch. Holder just stands tall and defends, to let the ball drop by his feet
slower ball gone wrong. That was out of the back of the hand, I think, at 118. Pitches way too short and squirts away too wide of off stump, almost off the pitch
length on the stumps. Bravo shuffles across and turns it to the legside, picking up a single to deep midwicket
fullish outside off stump. Holder's not taking risks. Drives this along the ground to the cover sweeper for a single
length outside off, just defended back to the bowler by Chameera
Here's Fidel to take you through
length outside off, a big legbreak, pushes it towards covers
flatter around off, on a length. Punched towards long-off for one
length ball around off, defended
uses his feet to take it on the full, hits it towards short midwicket
a legbreak. Pushes it towards backward point
fuller around off, a googly. Comes forward and looks to defend. The ball hits the inner half and rolls towards short fine leg
2W | 1W | |||
1W | ||||
1W | 1W | |||
Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua | |
Toss | West Indies, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2020/21 |
Player Of The Match | |
Series result | West Indies led the 3-match series 1-0 |
Match number | T20I no. 1126 |
Match days | 03 March 2021 - night (20-over match) |
T20I debut | |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee |