WI vs SL highlights, 1st ODI: Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 41 runs at Kingston

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, OUT! RUN OUT! That's a very cheap way to lose a wicket, but nevertheless, the Lankans have capitalized on it. Full-length delivery, on off and middle. John pushes it to the right of the mid on fielder and calls for the single. Janith Liyanage picks it up with his right and underarms it to score a direct hit at the bowler's end. John Campbell drags his bat through the crease, but when the third umpire checks it, he sees that Campbell is a few inches away from the crease. Probably a dive would have helped the batter to stay alive. West Indies are 50 for 1 now.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Good-length delivery, around off, Justin Greaves defends it to front foot to mid-wicket.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, FOUR! Hammered away perfectly this time! Short of a length, around the chest of the batter. Justin Greaves stays on his back foot and pulls it hard to deep square leg for four runs.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, SIX! Not at all from the middle of the bat, but Greaves won't mind the runs. Bumper, on middle. Justin Greaves looks to pull it away, but gets the top edge. The ball loops over the deep fine leg fence for half a dozen.

Asitha Fernando to John Campbell, On a length, angling away, outside off, John Campbell guides it to backward point and gets a single.

Asitha Fernando to John Campbell, FOUR! Oh, cheeky little touch from Campbell. Asitha Fernando shaping it across the line, just outside off. John Campbell opens the face of the bat and steers it through short third for four runs.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Full-length delivery, angling in, on off. Justin Greaves drives it to the right of the mid off fielder and gets a single.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves,  Big appeal for LBW, but turned down! Dushmantha Chameera lands this on a nagging length, on off, keeps a bit low. Justin Greaves fails to get his bat down and misses to get hit on the pads. There is a massive shout for LBW from Chameera, but the umpire stays put. Kusal Mendis takes the review after a chat with his bowler. However, the Ball Tracking shows that the impact is outside off stump. The on-field call says and Lanka lose an early review.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, Bangs this into the pitch, on off, Justin Greaves dabs it down towards point.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, FOUR! Gets it away! A half-volley, just outside off. Justin Greaves leans onto his drive and creams it wide of mid off. Janith Liyanage dives to his left but the timing is so good that the ball races to the fence for a boundary.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, Back of a length and around off, Justin Greaves punches it wide of mid off and comes back for the second run.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, Short of a length and on middle, Justin Greaves stays back and blocks it out.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, Good length and on middle, holds its line, Justin Greaves looks to clip it across the line but gets a leading edge along the ground towards mid off.

Asitha Fernando to John Campbell, Pulls his length back, on off, John Campbell uses his feet and squeezes it out to point.

Asitha Fernando to John Campbell, Goes fuller and around off, angling it away, John Campbell leaves it alone.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, On a length and on middle, Justin Greaves stabs it towards mid on and scampers across for a quick one. Good cricket!

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Hits the deck hard and around leg, Justin Greaves flicks it off the back foot through mid-wicket for a brace.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, FOUR! Excellent shot! Short of a length and on middle and leg, not short enough to trouble the batter. Justin Greaves climbs onto it and pulls it with disdain to the deep backward square leg fence for a boundary.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Hard length and on off, Justin Greaves pats it back to the bowler.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, A mix-up but no harm done! Back of a length and on middle, angling into the body of the battr, John Campbell gets tucked up again but manages to pat it down towards short mid-wicket. Greaves wants the run and takes off, but he is sent back. The fielder misses his shy at the bowler's end and Justin gets home safely.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, FOUR! Streaky! Dushmantha Chameera steams in from around the wicket, bends his back and bangs this hard into the pitch, gets some extra bounce. John Campbell looks to pull it away but gets rushed. It flies off the top edge over the keeper's head for a boundary.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, Hard length and around off, Justin Greaves steers it to the right of point for one.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, Pitched up and on middle, angling in, John Campbell knocks it towards mid on for another run.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, Uppish but safe! Fuller delivery, around off, shaping away. Justin Greaves gets drawn into the drive but loses his bottom hand. It flies off the outside edge just over the leaping backward point fielder for a run.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, Good length and on middle, John Campbell clips it through square leg for a single.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Touch fuller and on off, Justin Greaves taps it out towards short cover.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, On a length and on middle, Justin Greaves clips it away to short mid-wicket.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Back of a length and around off, Justin Greaves pulls it away, not from the middle of the bat but over mid-wicket for a brace.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Short of a length and on off Justin Greaves keeps it out to the off side.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Fuller in length and around off, Justin Greaves strides out and flashes his blade at it, driving it square through point for a brace.

Asitha Fernando to Justin Greaves, Asitha Fernando begins with a hard-length delivery, around off, Justin Greaves gets his bat away from his body and fends it off the bottom half of the bat onto the pitch.

Asitha Fernando will bowl from the other end.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, Swing and a miss! Pitched up and around off, gets it to shape away this time, John Campbell looks to go big down the ground but gets nowhere near the ball. Oh..wow! The UltraEdge after the over shows a bit of a spike when the ball is close to the bat. No one really appealed for it, and the chance goes begging for Lanka here.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, Full again and on middle, shapes in a again, John Campbell tries to play at it but he too gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Dushmantha Chameera to Justin Greaves, Fuller one and on middle, shaping in, Justin Greaves looks to clip it away but gets an inside edge towards fine leg. The fielder runs to his right and dives to make the stop. They cross.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, Hits the deck hard and around leg, John Campbell looks to flick it away but misses and gets hit on the pads. The ball rolls towards short fine and the batters take a leg bye.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, SIX! Picked up and how! Slightly fuller in length but angling into the pads this time. John Campbell picks it up and whips it effortlessly over the deep backward square leg fence for a flat biggie. Windies are underway in the chase.

Dushmantha Chameera to John Campbell, Dushmantha Chameera starts with a back-of-a-length delivery, on middle, skids through a bit. John Campbell looks to pull it away but misses and gets hit on his midriff.

We are ready for West Indies' reply with the bat! The camera pans on the Lankans, where the players are in a huddle, maybe Kusal Mendis has a few last words to tell his teammates. Justin Greaves and John Campbell will be opening for West Indies. Dushmantha Chameera will start the proceedings. But before that, he calls a groundsman who brings up a big hammer as Chameera is feeling a bit uneven where the bowlers land, near the popping crease. Everything is set now. Chameera to John Campbell with two slips in place. Awa we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

A late flourish - However, the duo of Charith Asalanka and Janith Liyanage shifted gears perfectly, stitching a rapid 64-run stand off just 48 deliveries to finish strong. Asalanka fell for a vital 45 in the 49th over, while Liyanage finished unbeaten on 44 to push Sri Lanka over the 300-run mark. For the West Indies, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, and Jayden Seales picked up two wickets each. So, can the WI chase 304? Or will the Lankans strike early with the ball? We shall find out soon. We have a cracking chase on our hands.

A quick chat - Roston Chase is up for a chat. He says that the track looks good to him. The deliveries did spin a bit, but overall, it looks good for batting. About the chase in the second inning, he reckons that the score is chasable if their batters protect the wickets and take the game deep. On his bowling plan, he says that he was a bit under pressure when he came to bowl. Continues that he tried to pull the score rate back and that is the reason he got a wicket under his column.

Windies did well in the middle overs - Just when Sri Lanka looked ready to completely take off, the West Indies pulled things back with quick wickets. Kusal Mendis departed in the 28th over, and Nissanka’s fine anchor knock ended on 79 in the 35th over after an unlucky dismissal. With Pavan Rathnayake also failing to hang around for long, Sri Lanka lost some crucial momentum in the middle overs, giving the Caribbean side a window back into the contest.

Nissanka and Mendis laid a solid foundation - Sri Lanka end their innings with a big score of 303 runs. Pathum Nissanka got a massive lifeline when he was dropped on the very first ball of the match, and he made the West Indies pay dearly. Though Kamindu Mendis fell early, skipper Kusal Mendis joined Nissanka to construct a brilliant 136-run partnership. Kusal played the role of the chief aggressor, smashing a quick-fire 72 off just 62 balls, while Nissanka anchored the innings beautifully to lay a rock-solid foundation.

Jayden Seales to Janith Liyanage, A couple of runs to end the innings! Jayden Seales bowls this into the blockhole, outside off, Janith Liyanage jams it out towards long on and hurries back for the second run. Sri Lanka finish on 303/7!

Jayden Seales to Janith Liyanage, SIX! BANG! That is a clean strike. Much fuller delivery, on middle, in the slot as well. Janith Liyanage clears his front leg away and dispatches it over the wide long on fence for a biggie. 300 UP FOR SRI LANKA!

Maheesh Theekshana walks in to bat now.

Jayden Seales to Milan Rathnayake, OUT! MILAN RATHNAYAKE IS RUN OUT! Two wickets in two balls for the Windies. A slower bumper from Seales, on middle and leg, Milan Rathnayake tries to be cheeky and goes for the reverse scoop but misses. Janith Liyanage, in a bid to retain strike, tries to steal a bye and Milan responds but a bit late. Shai Hope, the keeper, misses his shy at the batter's end as the ball rolls down the pitch. Seales collects it, turns around and hits the stumps at the bowler's end with Milan well short of his crease. Sri Lanka are 295/7 now, but the good thing for them is that Liyanage will be on strike.

Milan Rathnayake walks in.

Jayden Seales to Wanindu Hasaranga, OUT! TAKEN! Jayden Seales gets his second wicket. He bangs in a sharp bouncer at 131.1 kph, into the bodyline of the batter. Wanindu Hasaranga looks to pull it away but gets cramped up for room and cannot free his arms fully. He mistimes the shot high in the air towards deep square leg, where Sherfane Rutherford runs in from the ropes and takes a fine catch bending low to his front.