West Indies A tied the fourth one-day with Sri Lanka A in a dramatic last-ball affair when Russell Arnold was run out while attempting to take a run to seal victory for his side at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia.
Chasing 261 to win, Sri Lanka needed 18 runs from the last over. Two sixes from Arnold off Ryan Hinds, the left-arm spinner, eased things a bit for Sri Lanka and they needed two runs from the last ball to win the match and go 2-0 up in the series. Arnold took the first run easily but was run out when attempting to run back for the second.
West Indies chose to bat after winning the toss and Travis Dowlin, the opener, along with Sylvester Joseph, the captain, added 98 runs for the third wicket. From 168 for 3 West Indies slipped to 177 for 6, Malinga Bandara, the Sri Lanka legspinner, accounting for Dowlin, Narsingh Deonarine and Patrick Browne, the wicketkeeper in the space of nine runs. But Hinds and Omari Banks added 83 for an unbeaten seventh-wicket partnership and took West Indies to a fairly safe score of 260 at the end of 50 overs. While Hinds made 55 Towlin top-scored in the West Indies innings with 75.
Sri Lanka openers Avishka Gunawardene and Mahela Udawatte started out well making 77 before Darren Sammy bowled Udawatte out for 25. The second wicket fell soon enough but when Sammy caught Kaushal Lokuarachchi off Hinds's bowling for a duck. Gunawardene and Jeewan Mendis added 50 more runs to the total score and Sri Lanka looked in no trouble chasing West Indies' 260. But in a situation similar to the West Indies' mid-innings collapse, Sri Lanka lost three wickets - all to Gavin Tonge - for 11 runs. Arnold rallied the tail along and added 72 along with Gayan Wijekoon and Kaushal Silva. He was batting on 79 alongside Bandara, unbeaten on 13, at the time of the nail-biting finish. Tonge ended with match figures of 3 for 40.
The series is tied at 1-1 and the two teams will play the final ODI on December 17 at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.
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