St John’s [Antigua], March 8 (ANI): After delivering a match-winning performance in the third T20I against Sri Lanka here at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, West Indies all-rounder Fabian Allen said he backed his plans and executed them well in the game.
Windies defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets on Monday. With this win, the hosts won the three-match series 2-1. Both teams would now lock horns in the three-match ODI series, beginning Wednesday.
Allen delivered an economical spell while bowling as he just gave 13 runs in his fours overs including a wicket. Then with the bat, he played a blasting knock of 21 not out off six balls studded with three sixes in a low-scoring affair.
“I prepare for everything, including bowling in the Powerplay. I just backed myself and executed. The pitch is very slow, so I just needed to execute my plans. When I look in the dressing room we have a lot of batting power. I told Jason Holder that I’m not comfortable batting against Hasaranga, so I told him to bat him out and I’ll be finishing. I just backed myself in the end. It was a good performance overall,” Allen said after the match.
Chasing 132, Windies got off to a steady start as openers Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis put on 37 runs inside the first five overs. However, Sri Lanka came back into the match as the side dismissed Lewis (21), Simmons (26), Chris Gayle (13), Kieron Pollard (0), reducing Windies to 75/4 in the 12th over.
Nicholas Pooran (23), Rovman Powell (7), Dwayne Bravo (0) also did not manage to stay at the crease to guide Windies home but in the end, Jason Holder (14*) and Allen (21*) took the hosts over the line by three wickets and six balls to spare.
Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal’s unbeaten knock of 54 helped Sri Lanka post 131/4 in the allotted twenty overs.
Batting first, Sri Lanka got off to a bad start as the side lost Gunathilaka (9), Pathum Nissanka (5), Niroshan Dickwella (4), and Angelo Mathews (11) with just 46 runs on the board.
Chandimal (54*) and Ashen Bandara (44*) then got together at the crease and the duo formed an unbeaten stand of 85 runs to take Sri Lanka’s score past the 130-run mark. (ANI)