West Indies has Rihanna's support but Sri Lanka gets the win

Durham, England:  It was a day late and counted for little in the context of the Cricket World Cup, but there was no lack of tension as Sri Lanka fended off the West Indies by 23 runs.

Avishka Fernando scored 104 from 103 balls to guide Sri Lanka to 338-6, its highest total of the tournament, and Lasith Malinga took two early wickets to stymie the start of the run chase on Monday. The veteran paceman added another late wicket to all but finish it off and move further up the list of most prolific World Cup bowlers.

West Indies, with some starpower support from Rihanna on a blustery, slightly overcast day - no need for shade, or shelter from the rain - made a chase of it but ran out of time and finished 315-9.

Rihanna's reaction when Chris Gayle got out - head back in disbelief - summed up the overall feeling of game over at 71-3.

But when Nicholas Pooran (108) and Fabian Allen (51) combined in an 83-run, seventh-wicket stand, the superstar singer from Barbados was back on her feet along with the crowd.

Allen joined Pooran with the total at 199-6 and scored his first one-day international 50 from 30 balls, including a six and seven boundaries, before he became the third West Indian run out in the innings. He glanced to leg, decided against a run but then went when Pooran - on 99 - was midway down the pitch. Allen was well short of his ground at the non-striker's end.

That left the West Indies 282-7 with 35 balls remaining.

Pooran posted his first ODI century, was dropped at long-off in the next over, but was finally out caught behind when he chased Angelo Mathew's first delivery in an ODI since 2017 in the 48th over.

Malinga trapped Oshane Thomas lbw in the penultimate over, getting the decision on review, and joined Wasim Akram at No. 3 on the all-time list of World Cup wicket-takers with 55.

In other circumstances, Fernando's maiden ODI century would have enhanced Sri Lanka's chances of reaching the World Cup semifinals.

But Sri Lanka's playoff prospects ended when England beat India at Edgbaston on Sunday, nine days after Sri Lanka's upset of England opened up the competition.

West Indies was already out of contention after losing four in a row following a confident start to the tournament.

The consolation for Sri Lanka at Riverside was to extend its winning streak in World Cup encounters against West Indies to four, dating to 1996.

Fernando made promising starts in his two previous World Cup appearances, scoring 49 against England and 30 against South Africa last Friday, but he went on with it this time.

He went in after a 93-run opening stand between Kusal Perera (64) and Dimuth Karunaratne (32) and survived a strong appeal for lbw on his fourth ball.

Fernando shared partnerships of 85 with Kusal Mendis (39), who was spectacularly caught-and-bowled by Allen, 58 with Mathews (26), and 67 with Lahiru Thirimanne (45 not out) until he was caught off Sheldon Cottrell's bowling in the 48th over.

Skipper Jason Holder (2-59) dismissed Karunaratne and Mathews and was the only multiple wicket-taker for the West Indies.

Malinga matched that by the fifth over, picking his 53rd and 54th career World Cup wickets when he had Sunil Ambris (5) caught behind and Shai Hope (5) dragging a slower ball onto his stumps.

Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer had reprieves but didn't go on: Gayle drove Kasun Rajitha for six over long-on to reach 35 and tried to repeat on the next ball, only to sky a catch to Jeffrey Vandersay.

Hetmyer (29) was run out by a direct hit from backward point as West Indies slumped to 84-4.

Holder added 26 and Carlos Brathwaite (8) was unluckily run out at the non-striker's end when bowler Isuru Udana got a fingertip to Pooran's drive and the ball deflected onto the stumps. But just when it seemed everything was going against the West Indies, Pooran triggered another almost-there comeback.

The West Indies will finish off against winless Afghanistan at Leeds on Thursday, desperate to finish with two wins for the tournament. Sri Lanka plays India at the same ground on Saturday.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka

Dimuth Karunaratne c Hope b Holder 32

Kusal Perera run out (Cottrell/Brathwaite) 64

Avishka Fernando c Allen b Cottrell 104

Kusal Mendis c and b Allen 39

Angelo Mathews b Holder 26

Lahiru Thirimanne not out 45

Isuru Udana c Holder b Thomas 3

Dhananjaya de Silva not out 6

Extras: (4b, 5lb, 5w, 5nb) 19

TOTAL: (for 6 wickets) 338

Overs: 50

Fall of wickets: 1-93, 2-104, 3-189, 4-247, 5-314, 6-327

Did not bat: Jeffrey Vandersay, Kasun Rajitha, Lasith Malinga.

Bowling: Sheldon Cottrell 10-0-69-1 (2w), Oshane Thomas 10-1-58-1 (2nb), Shannon Gabriel 5-0-46-0 (1w, 1nb), Jason Holder 10-0-59-2 (1w, 2nb), Carlos Brathwaite 7-0-53-0, Fabian Allen 8-0-44-1 (1w).

West Indies

Chris Gayle c Vandersay b Rajitha 35

Sunil Ambris c Perera b Malinga 5

Shai Hope b Malinga 5

Shimron Hetmyer run out (Dhananjaya ) 29

Nicholas Pooran c Perera b Mathews 118

Jason Holder c sub (Jeevan Mendis) b Vandersay 26

Carlos Brathwaite run out (Udana) 8

Fabian Allen run out (Udana/Rajitha ) 51

Sheldon Cottrell not out 7

Oshane Thomas lbw b Malinga 1

Shannon Gabriel not out 3

Extras: (3b, 2lb, 20w, 2nb) 27

TOTAL: (for 9 wickets) 315

Overs: 50

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-22, 3-71, 4-84, 5-145, 6-199, 7-282, 8-308, 9-311

Bowling: Lasith Malinga 10-0-55-3 (4w, 1nb), Dhananjaya de Silva 10-0-49-0, Isuru Udana 10-0-67-0 (3w), Kasun Rajitha 10-0-76-1 (4w, 1nb), Jeffrey Vandersay 7-0-50-1 (4w), Dimuth Karunaratne 1-0-7-0, Angelo Mathews 2-0-6-1.

Toss: West Indies

Result: Sri Lanka won by 23 runs.

Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Paul Reiffel, Australia.

TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi, India. Match referee: David Boon, Australia.