ICC ODI Championship 
West Indies Sri Lanka ODI Series.
1st Match Played at North Sound on March 11, 2021
West Indies 236/2 in 47 Overs (Shai Diego Hope 110, Elvin Lewis 65, Daren Michael Bravo 37*, Dusmantha Chameera 2/50) 
Sri Lanka 232 All Out in 49 Overs (Danushka Gunatilaka 55, Dimuth Karunaratne 52, Ashen Bandara 50, Jason Mohammad 2/12, Jason Holder 2/39) 
West Indies won by 8 wickets 
Player of the Match: Shai Hope 

In a match watching a unfortunate controversial incident of a run out of Sri Lankan opener Gunathilaka for obstructing the field West Indies rocked Sri Lanka ruthlessly winning by 8 wickets. In an incident marked innings Sri Lankan fell apart after flying start, getting wrapped up for 232 all out. West Indies cruised home scoring 236/2 riding on brilliant batting of Shai Hope (110) and Elvin Lewis 65. It was a great turn around after the understrength West Indies team suffering (0-3) whitewash against Bangladesh in the recent past. Many frontline players in the excuse of Corona skipped that tour. West Indies has to utilize this opportunity to bounce back playing to their full potential. Here is a work in progress. Sri Lankan mission is also similar. Both have to improve their ICC Ranking for automatic qualification for ICC World Cup 2023 remaining within top eight. 

Winning the toss and electing to bat. Sri Lanka was off to a flying start with a fluent 105 runs opening partnership between dynamic Gunathilaka and Karunaratne in 19 Overs.  They were looking good for plenty. But once Gunathilka was adjudged run out for allegedly obstructing the field West Indies kept on rattling Lankans till they wrapped up the innings for 232 all out in 49 Overs. 

Let me Quote from Cricinfo about the incident 
Quote 
As the batsman took a backward step to ensure he remained inside his crease, he trod on the ball, knocking it back, leading to a furious appeal from the West Indian captain. It appeared there was no way replays could establish Gunathilaka had deliberately foiled a run-out attempt, but TV umpire Nigel Guguid took little time reaching that very conclusion, pulling the plug on what was a delightfully fluent innings.
Unquote 

Any one draw any conclusion from it. People would say what Pollard did was a gamesmanship. He did nothing wrong as per rule. But cricket did not win in this instance. For the greater interest of Cricket it could be better if avoided.  The beauty of a wonderful contest had some dark spot. 

Pollard already had Karunaratne caught of his own bowling for a good-looking 52 made of 61 deliveries.  The first wicket partnership produced 105. The incident of Gunathilaka made it 112/2. He also scored a fluent 55 off 61 deliveries. That sad incident followed two more unfortunate run outs of Pathum Nissanka (8) and Angelo Mathews (5). Sri Lankan innings was road blocked at 4/126. From there other than Ashen Bandara (50) none could produce anything of substance. Sri Lanka could produce only 232 all out. It was even barely enough for Lankan quality spin resource to defend. Jason Mohammad (2/14) and Jason Holder (2/50) were the main wicket takers. 

Mainstream West Indians back in West Indies color looked positively motivated for success. Lewis curbed his natural flamboyance and Hope looked solid. The pair produced top quality opening partnership of 143 in 28.2 Overs. Innings of Lewis had all the elegance and grace of glory time West Indies cricket. He scored 65 before a brilliant Chameera delivery knocked off his furniture. Steady Hope scored yet another century (110) being undone by Chameera again. Bravo took this opportunity to brush off the rust from his bat remaining unbeaten for 37 as West Indies cruised home by 8 wickets. West Indies went ahead 1-0 in the three matches series.

BDST: 1249 HRS, MAR 11, 2021
SMS