Angelo Mathews grabbed a wicket with his first ball bowled in nearly two years to help Sri Lanka to victory over the West Indies at The Riverside Durham, Chester-le-Street.

The Windies looked for all money to be pulling off the the highest run chase in competition history as Nicholas Pooran single-handedly dragged his side towards the Sri Lankan total of 338.

Something of a T20 specialist, Pooran accumulated his runs quickly while showing every bit of the temperament of a player more accustomed to the longer formats of the game.

Pooran brought up his maiden ton but his side still needed 47 from 30 balls with only three wickets remaining.

He looked to be pulling off one of the best-ever individual performances as he moved to 118 before a wild slash to Mathews’ opener was gleefully gobbled up by Perera behind the stumps. With his departure went the end of the Windies’ resistance as Sri Lanka eeked out a 23-run win.

Earlier, Lasith Malinga continued to defy age as he reduced the West Indies to 22-2.

Chris Gayle left the scene at 71-3 when he was caught off the bowling of Kasun Rajitha for a pedestrian 35 (48 balls). That left Pooran to plunder the attack to all parts, ably supported by Fabian Allen. The latter was run out for 51 off just 32 deliveries.

Pooran, though, didn’t bat an eyelid … well, not until he was sent back to the changerooms agonizingly close to a career-defining innings.

Sri Lanka’s innings was a guide for a collective effort to push the score past 300. No batsmen inside the top six made less than 26, the openers put on 93 which allowed Avishka Fernando to smash a run-a-ball century. Kusal Perera’s 64 (51 balls) and Lahiru Thirimanne’s unbeaten 45 (33) were the perfect foil to Fernando’s 104 (1o3) as the Windies were forced to chase the ball around the Durham ground.

The win, then, in the end a collective team effort with Fernando’s ton, Mathews’ golden arm and Malinga (3-55) helping ease the islanders’ pain of an early exit to the World Cup.