Pallekele: Sri Lanka overcame an unbeaten 110 by Marlon Samuels to beat the West Indies by 19 runs in the rain-interrupted third one-day international and sweep the series 3-0 on Saturday.
Asked to bat first, the West Indies made 206-9 in a rain-shortened innings of 36 overs. Samuels faced 95 deliveries, hit a six and 15 boundaries.
Sri Lanka was set 190 to win on the Duckworth/Lewis method, and when rain ended the game, it reached 180-5 in 32.3 overs, 19 runs ahead of the par score.
Kusal Perera top-scored for Sri Lanka with 50, his second half-century of the series, while captain Angelo Mathews was 27 not out.
Captain Jason Holder returned the best bowling figures of 2-44 for the West Indies. Tillakaratne Dilshan was first to be dismissed in the Sri Lanka innings when he was caught by Jonathan Carter in the covers off Carlos Brathwaite. Dilshan was dropped by the same fielder in the previous delivery.
Lahiru Thirimanne added 21 before being caught by Samuels off Holder. Perera faced 47 deliveries in his aggressive innings, that included two sixes and two boundaries.
Dinesh Chandimal and Milinda Siriwardana scored 23 and 17 respectively. Earlier, Samuels walked in with West Indies at 16-3.
He quickly lost another partner but steadied the innings with his ninth ODI century. Samuels shared 55 runs for the eighth wicket off 31 deliveries with Brathwaite (18) after the match was reduced to 36 overs due to two rain interruptions.
Lasith Malinga struck with the fourth ball of the innings when he had Johnson Charles (4) caught by Dilshan. Suranga Lakmal trapped fellow opener Andre Fletcher (6) leg before wicket.
Malinga and Dilshan again combined in the dismissal of Jermaine Blackwood, while Lakmal bowled Darren Bravo (4), leaving the West Indies in trouble at 18-4 before Samuels came to the rescue.
Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera took 2-39. Lakmal, Malinga and Ajantha Mendis also took two wickets each.
Samuels was named player of the match, and Perera received the player of the series award.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
