GROS ISLET, St Lucia, (CMC):

PERSISTENT RAIN, together with a wet outfield, forced match officials to abandon the third one-day international between the West Indies and Sri Lanka at the Beausejour Stadium on Tuesday night.

When rain halted play at just after 8:00 p.m., the West Indies were 81 for two in 18.2, overs chasing a target of 258 in 50 overs to complete a series whitewash.

Despite a series of inspections from match officials, the rain never fully abated until 9:30 p.m., forcing an abandonment of the match without a result since both teams did not have the opportunity to bat 20 overs. It left the West Indies 2-0 winners of the series, but the outcome of the match was to a disappointment to an almost sell-out crowd that was anticipating an exciting run chase.

The chase was led by opener Sewnarine Chattergoon, who stroked 46 off 53 balls with six fours and a six before edging a cut off left-arm fast bowler Chaminda Vaas to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara.

Runako Morton, opening the batting in place of injured captain Chris Gayle, made 17 before edging a drive to the keeper from the first ball by left-armer Thilan Thushara.

When the rain came, Ramnaresh Sarwan was on 13 and Marlon Samuels on three.

Sri Lanka's competitive total was built on half-centuries from Mahela Udawatte (73) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (64) and supporting knocks from Kaushalya Weeraratne (41) and Chamara Kapugedera (40).

Chris Gayle was the pick of the home team's bowlers with two for 41 from ten overs, but he suffered a groin strain in the 43rd over when he dived full stretch at extra-cover in trying to affect a run out.