Photo by Dellmar
Sri Lanka's Chamara Silva looks back on his broken stumps after being bowled by West Indies skipper Chris Gayle in the second one-day international in Port-of-Spain yesterday. Looking on (at left) is West Indies 'keeper Denesh Ramdin.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):

SHIVNARINE CHANDER-PAUL and Marlon Samuels hit unbeaten half centuries yesterday to pilot the West Indies to a series-clinching, seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the rain-shortened second one-day international at Queen's Park Oval.

Veteran Chanderpaul, hero of the opening match win, struck 52 not out off 42 balls and shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 107 off 88 balls with Samuels.

The West Indies, chasing a revised target of 125 off 25 overs, reached the mark with 4.3 overs to spare.

Undefeated knock

Samuels returned to form with an undefeated 54 off 49 deliveries. The right-hander hit three sixes and three fours.

The pair rescued the home team from 18 for three in the sixth over as Nuwan Kulasekara (3-28) sliced through the top order.

Sri Lanka had earlier limped to 112 for five off 30.3 overs either side of an hour-long rain delay. Upul Tharanga top scored with 40 off 81 balls, but the visitors were stalled by the rain at 83 for two off 24.1 overs.

On resumption, Sri Lanka lost three quick wickets before heavy rain returned and caused a delay of almost four hours.

Captain Chris Gayle grabbed two cheap wickets as the home team seized the advantage before the second delay.

Earlier, openers Tharanga and Mahela Udawatte gave the visitors an encouraging start after Gayle won the toss in overcast conditions and chose to bowl.

The pair added 38 for the first wicket before pacer Jerome Taylor removed Udawatte fror 14. The left-hander, in his second match, skied a wild swing to backward point where Sewnarine Chattergoon held a fine catch running back.

Clouds close in

Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara were subdued in adding 40 for the second wicket but were separated just as the clouds first closed in.

Tharanga hit five boundaries before he slashed Dwayne Bravo to third man where Taylor collected a well-judged catch.

Light showers delayed play for an hour and, on resumption, the West Indies took control.

Kumar Sangakkara (28) scooped a Gayle full toss to short fine leg, while Chamara Silva (two) was bowled by the West Indies skipper's faster ball.

In between, medium pacer Darren Sammy claimed Kaushalya Weeraratne (15) to a sliced catch to backward point.

The West Indies began their chase as the favourites but were quickly in trouble through Kulasekara's triple strike.

Bravo was bowled, Gayle slapped a catch to mid-off and Ramnaresh Sarwan was plainly leg before.

But Chanderpaul and Samuels slowly rebuilt the innings before rounding off the win with a volley of strokes to delight a crowd of close to 18,000.

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