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After they lost the toss, the Windies were set a very gettable target of 229 to win. The Caribbean outfit lost their first wicket very early. Jamaican opening batsman Wavell Hinds was caught by Sanath Jayasuriya from the bowling of Chaminda Vaas for just two runs.
Hinds' opening partner Chris Gayle had failed with the bat thus far in the tournament and was due for a big score. He started in rampant fashion, finding the fence twice in the first three overs as he cut viciously square of the wicket.
In contrast to Gayle, who looked fluent and at ease in the middle, Brian Lara looked troubled. It took the Trinidadian batting star some fifteen balls to get off-the-mark and he didn't last much beyond that as he edged a delivery from Vaas to Sangakara behind the stumps and walked off with just the single to his name.
Despite the los of the two early wickets Gayle remained brazen, continuing to take the fight to the Sri Lankan bowlers. He was particularly severe on Pulasthi Gunaratne who was punished for 34 runs in his opening five overs, much to the delight of the 17337 people who had paid to see the game.
In contrast Vaas, who has been one of the star performers of the tournament to date, finished his first spell with impeccable figures of 7-3-14-2.
Vaas was replaced by Dilhara Fernando the quickest of the Sri Lankan bowlers. His first ball was pulled with venom to the midwicket fence by Sarwan. None-to-pleased with the treatment Fernando dug the next ball in short and hit the Guyanese batsman on the head. It was a vicious blow and Sarwan and crumpled like a Tyson victim, blood pouring from his head.
It was a sight more befitting of a rugby field as Sarwan was treated in the middle by a host of doctors and paramedics. He was eventually wheeled from the field on a stretcher, forced to retire hurt with his score on 10.
Sarwan's departure seemed like a bad sign for the West Indies as his replacement Carl Hooper fell first ball, trapped LBW by the fired up Fernando. But Shivnerine Chanderpaul joined Chris Gayle in the middle and the two set about rebuilding the innings - Gayle playing his shots and Chanderpaul batting responsibly.
Gayle went to his fifty in the 21st over with a couple to the man sweeping on the cover fence. His half-century came from just 59 balls and included 8 boundaries - a remarkably fluent knock given how the rest of the batters struggled on the night.
No doubt aware that he would have to bowl the Windies out if he was to win, Jayasuriya returned Vaas to the attack. The move paid dividends immediately with the in-form seamer trapping the Jamaican opener LBW for a well played 55 from 76 balls.
Vaas, whose first spell yielded two wickets, went on to bag his fourth just three balls later as Ridley Jacobs sparred at one outside off-stump and was caught behind by Sangakara for a duck. Vaas finished his second spell and his allotted 10 overs with figures of 10-3-22-4.
Ricardo Powell followed the Windies wicket-keeper out into the middle before returning almost immediately to the pavilion when he was bowled for a single by Muralitharan as he looked to play an expansive stroke.
With Sarwan at the hospital for x-rays and stitches Vasbert Drakes stuck around for long enough to ensure that the injured batsman could make it back to the ground in time. He did well to keep Chanderpaul company as the pair shared in a stand of 47 for the seventh wicket.
Along the way Chanderpaul became the second Windies batsman to reach his fifty, his half-century coming in 93 minutes from 68 balls.
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It was Chanderpaul though who became the next wicket to fall. Eventually being forced to go aerial as he looked to up the tempo he was well caught on the mid-on boundary by Marvan Atapattu for 65.
Sarwan returned to the fray and the scene was set for heroics… the only problem was that the Sri Lankan spinners, Murali and De Silva, were keeping things to tight. Boundaries seemingly dried up as both Drakes and Sarwan battled to score anything more than singles. With 48 needed off 32 balls things were disappearing fast.
Drakes threw caution to the wind and his top edge flew high into the night-sky and Vaas took a fine catch running in from the square-leg fence. The big bowlers departure signalled the start of the hitting as Sarwan took the fight to Jayasuriya, clubbing him for a six, a four and three from consecutive balls. Suddnely the equation had been reduced to 29 needed from 18. The tension was high but Merv Dillon proved a cool head as put the ball into space and got Sarwan back on strike.
Sarwan, who saw the Windies home in a couple of tight games on their recent tour to India, was suddenly looking the part. A six, a two and another two (as Atapattu dropped a high one at fine-leg). It was coming down to the wire but Muralitharan still had one over to bowl. It was a tight over and it included a referral to the third umpire for a stumping but the batters survived and the final over arrived with the Caribbean outfit needing 14 to win.
Sarwan was on strike and Gunaratne, the man who had been so badly punished by Chris Gayle in his opening spell, was the bowler. A dot ball and an edge past the keeper got the over off to a pulsating start. Then Dillon was run out having backed up to far. Ten runs were needed from three balls and Sarwan had it all to do.
A single saw last man in Pedro Collins onto strike and all he could muster was a single, eight needed from the final ball. The Windies supporters hoped for a no-ball but it wasn't to be as Sarwan took a single and the West Indies were reduced to relying on Canada to beat New Zealand for them to have any hope of making it to the next round.
Sarwan ended the eveing undefeated on 47 from 44 balls.
Hinds' opening partner Chris Gayle had failed with the bat thus far in the tournament and was due for a big score. He started in rampant fashion, finding the fence twice in the first three overs as he cut viciously square of the wicket.
In contrast to Gayle, who looked fluent and at ease in the middle, Brian Lara looked troubled. It took the Trinidadian batting star some fifteen balls to get off-the-mark and he didn't last much beyond that as he edged a delivery from Vaas to Sangakara behind the stumps and walked off with just the single to his name.
Despite the los of the two early wickets Gayle remained brazen, continuing to take the fight to the Sri Lankan bowlers. He was particularly severe on Pulasthi Gunaratne who was punished for 34 runs in his opening five overs, much to the delight of the 17337 people who had paid to see the game.
In contrast Vaas, who has been one of the star performers of the tournament to date, finished his first spell with impeccable figures of 7-3-14-2.
Vaas was replaced by Dilhara Fernando the quickest of the Sri Lankan bowlers. His first ball was pulled with venom to the midwicket fence by Sarwan. None-to-pleased with the treatment Fernando dug the next ball in short and hit the Guyanese batsman on the head. It was a vicious blow and Sarwan and crumpled like a Tyson victim, blood pouring from his head.
It was a sight more befitting of a rugby field as Sarwan was treated in the middle by a host of doctors and paramedics. He was eventually wheeled from the field on a stretcher, forced to retire hurt with his score on 10.
Sarwan's departure seemed like a bad sign for the West Indies as his replacement Carl Hooper fell first ball, trapped LBW by the fired up Fernando. But Shivnerine Chanderpaul joined Chris Gayle in the middle and the two set about rebuilding the innings - Gayle playing his shots and Chanderpaul batting responsibly.
Gayle went to his fifty in the 21st over with a couple to the man sweeping on the cover fence. His half-century came from just 59 balls and included 8 boundaries - a remarkably fluent knock given how the rest of the batters struggled on the night.
No doubt aware that he would have to bowl the Windies out if he was to win, Jayasuriya returned Vaas to the attack. The move paid dividends immediately with the in-form seamer trapping the Jamaican opener LBW for a well played 55 from 76 balls.
Vaas, whose first spell yielded two wickets, went on to bag his fourth just three balls later as Ridley Jacobs sparred at one outside off-stump and was caught behind by Sangakara for a duck. Vaas finished his second spell and his allotted 10 overs with figures of 10-3-22-4.
Ricardo Powell followed the Windies wicket-keeper out into the middle before returning almost immediately to the pavilion when he was bowled for a single by Muralitharan as he looked to play an expansive stroke.
With Sarwan at the hospital for x-rays and stitches Vasbert Drakes stuck around for long enough to ensure that the injured batsman could make it back to the ground in time. He did well to keep Chanderpaul company as the pair shared in a stand of 47 for the seventh wicket.
Along the way Chanderpaul became the second Windies batsman to reach his fifty, his half-century coming in 93 minutes from 68 balls.
Sarwan heroics can't save Windies
Sri Lanka win thriller at Newlands
It was Chanderpaul though who became the next wicket to fall. Eventually being forced to go aerial as he looked to up the tempo he was well caught on the mid-on boundary by Marvan Atapattu for 65.
Sarwan returned to the fray and the scene was set for heroics… the only problem was that the Sri Lankan spinners, Murali and De Silva, were keeping things to tight. Boundaries seemingly dried up as both Drakes and Sarwan battled to score anything more than singles. With 48 needed off 32 balls things were disappearing fast.
Drakes threw caution to the wind and his top edge flew high into the night-sky and Vaas took a fine catch running in from the square-leg fence. The big bowlers departure signalled the start of the hitting as Sarwan took the fight to Jayasuriya, clubbing him for a six, a four and three from consecutive balls. Suddnely the equation had been reduced to 29 needed from 18. The tension was high but Merv Dillon proved a cool head as put the ball into space and got Sarwan back on strike.
Sarwan, who saw the Windies home in a couple of tight games on their recent tour to India, was suddenly looking the part. A six, a two and another two (as Atapattu dropped a high one at fine-leg). It was coming down to the wire but Muralitharan still had one over to bowl. It was a tight over and it included a referral to the third umpire for a stumping but the batters survived and the final over arrived with the Caribbean outfit needing 14 to win.
Sarwan was on strike and Gunaratne, the man who had been so badly punished by Chris Gayle in his opening spell, was the bowler. A dot ball and an edge past the keeper got the over off to a pulsating start. Then Dillon was run out having backed up to far. Ten runs were needed from three balls and Sarwan had it all to do.
A single saw last man in Pedro Collins onto strike and all he could muster was a single, eight needed from the final ball. The Windies supporters hoped for a no-ball but it wasn't to be as Sarwan took a single and the West Indies were reduced to relying on Canada to beat New Zealand for them to have any hope of making it to the next round.
Sarwan ended the eveing undefeated on 47 from 44 balls.
