West Indies tour of Sri Lanka 2015 live scores results and Highlights.OLOMBO: Rangana Herath picked up four wickets while spin partner Milinda Siriwardana took three as Sri Lanka defeated West Indies by 72 runs on the fifth day of the second and final Test on Monday to win the series 2-0.
West Indies, who lost the first Test in Galle by an innings and six runs, were all out for 171 in the second session as their wait for a first win in the format in Sri Lanka continues.The tourists made a bright start in their chase of 244 but their hopes of a series-levelling win dimmed after losing three quick wickets to the spinners in the morning, with batting mainstay Darren Bravo (61) the only one to offer some resistance.
"It was a hard-fought win, our bowlers were under constant pressure because our batsmen didn't deliver," Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said at the presentation. "I never had doubts about my bowlers."Rangana Herath has enough experience... He showed his masterclass at the end."
West Indies resumed on 20-1 after rain washed away the final session on the third day and the entire fourth day's play and looked in firm control of their chase.Shai Hope, who was unbeaten during the weather disruption, and Bravo started positively, taking the attack to the spinners, and added 60 for the second wicket.Mathews turned to all-rounder Siriwardana to break the stand and the left-arm spinner did exactly that by dismissing Hope in his fifth delivery.
Hope danced down the wicket to the bowler but the ball spun enough to beat his bat and resulted in an easy stumping for wicketkeeper Kusal Perera.Out-of-form Marlon Samuels (six) survived several nervous moments before falling to Dilruwan Perera with Mathews completing a sharp catch at slip.
Siriwardana, who was adjudged man of the match for his all-round performance, claimed his second wicket when Jermaine Blackwood (four) was out leg before with West Indies quickly slumping from 80-1 to 102-4.
Blackwood challenged the umpire's decision but failed to overturn the decision.
Left-hander Bravo handled the spinners well with some positive footwork and completed his 13th fifty in Tests with three fours and two sixes.
Herath, who was targeted by Bravo and hit for two consecutive sixes, got in on the act after lunch by dismissing wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (10) and Bravo in the same over to banish any hopes of a West Indies victory.
"As a spinner and a bowler, we got to take responsibility," Herath said after being adjudged the man of the series for his 15 wickets in two Tests.
The tourists, who resumed on 20-1 chasing a victory target of 244, were shot out for 171 in the post-lunch session of the final day’s play at the P Sara Oval in Colombo.
“We fell short. We didn’t bat well in the second innings,” West Indies skipper Jason Holder said. “Whenever we came under pressure from the Sri Lankan bowlers we succumbed. But there is a lot we can take away from the series. We are a young team and we have a lot to learn.”
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said he never doubted his bowlers’ ability to clinch a victory. “It was a hard-fought win,” Mathews said. “The pressure was on our bowlers because our batsmen did not deliver. I never had any doubts about my bowlers even when the West Indies were 80 for 1.
“Rangana (Herath) has enough experience and he showed his masterclass again.”
Veteran Herath finished with four for 56 and Siriwardana took three for 25 to wreck the tourists, for whom Darren Bravo played a lone hand with 61. The West Indies slipped to 138 for nine before the last-wicket pair of Kemar Roach (13) and Jomel Warrican (20 not out) put on 33 runs to hand a batting lesson to their teammates.
Sri Lanka, who had won the first Test in Galle by an innings and six runs, clinched the trophy named after West Indies great Garfield Sobers and former Sri Lankan captain Michael Tissera.Herath finished with 15 wickets in the series to take his tally to 293, nearing the 300-wicket mark previously achieved by only two Sri Lankan bowlers -- world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.
When play resumed after the entire fourth day had been washed out, the overnight pair of Bravo and Shai Hope easily negotiated the Sri Lankan bowlers to carry the score to 80-1. Siriwardana broke the 60-run stand by having Hope stumped for 35 soon after Bravo had celebrated his half-century with two sixes off Herath. Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera removed Marlon Samuels for six through a catch by Angelo Mathews, before Siriwardana trapped Jermaine Blackwood leg-before for four.
