Shamar Joseph’s Five-For Seals Series Win as West Indies Edge Sri Lanka at Sabina Park

West Indies won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining). Shamar Joseph ripped through Sri Lanka with 5/33 as West Indies chased down 170 at Sabina Park to clinch the series 2-1. This was the 91st match of 132 in the 2026 T20 Internationals season, and it completes a hard-fought three-match series in Kingston that swung both ways before West Indies took the decider.

First Innings – Sri Lanka 169 All Out (20 overs)

Sri Lanka’s innings started briskly before Shamar Joseph struck early, removing Kusal Mendis for 5 off 5 balls with the score on just 8 in the second over. Pathum Nissanka counter-attacked with 26 off 17 balls (SR 153) including two sixes, putting on 43 with Kamil Mishara before Joseph had Nissanka caught at 51/2 in the sixth over.

Pavan Rathnayake lasted just one ball – trapped LBW by Joseph for a duck at 51/3 in the same over. Mishara battled to 28 off 23 (three fours, one six) before falling LBW at 72/4 in the 10th over, and Kamindu Mendis added 20 off 15 with two sixes before he was caught at 88/5 in the 11th.

Dasun Shanaka chipped in with 16 off 13 before Joseph bowled him at 111/6 in the 15th over – completing a devastating five-wicket haul. From there, Dunith Wellalage (43 off 28, six fours and a six, SR 154) and Wanindu Hasaranga (21 off 13, SR 162) rescued the innings with a rapid partnership worth 49. Hasaranga was run out at 160/7 in the 19th over, and Sri Lanka lost their last three wickets for nine runs to finish on 169 all out.

Joseph’s 5/33 from four overs was the standout bowling performance. Akeal Hosein (1/31), Roston Chase (1/32), Matthew Forde (1/39) and Jason Holder (1/33) each picked up a wicket as all five bowlers contributed.

Second Innings – West Indies 170/5 (19.4 overs)

The chase began disastrously. Shai Hope was bowled for a duck on the third ball of the innings by Dushmantha Chameera, bringing West Indies’ most dangerous middle-order batters to the crease far earlier than planned.

Brandon King (16 off 20) and Shimron Hetmyer (32 off 19, SR 168) rebuilt to 52/1 before King was bowled by Maheesh Theekshana at 52/2 in the seventh over. Ackeem Auguste managed just 1 off 7 before he was bowled at 53/3, and when Hetmyer was caught at 53/4 in the ninth over, Sri Lanka looked firmly on top.

Captain Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford then produced the match-winning partnership. The pair put on 81 from 50 balls, shifting momentum entirely. Powell struck 33 off 27 with three sixes before falling caught at 134/5 in the 17th over – but by then the damage was done.

Rutherford finished unbeaten on 54 off 40 balls (three fours, four sixes, SR 135), anchoring the chase from crisis to victory. Jason Holder came in and smashed an extraordinary 21 not out off just 5 balls at a strike rate of 420, hammering three sixes to seal the win with two balls to spare.

Hasaranga was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with 2/17 from four overs at an economy of 4.25 – the only bowler to really contain the hosts. Theekshana (1/26, Econ 6.50) bowled tidily alongside him, while Chameera leaked 64 runs from his four overs at an economy of 16.00 – a costly outing despite his early wicket.

Statz MVP – Wanindu Hasaranga (148.47)

Wanindu Hasaranga takes the Statz MVP award with a match impact rating of 148.47 – the highest in the match despite Sri Lanka’s defeat. His combined performance of 21 off 13 with the bat and 2/17 from four overs with the ball made him the most influential player on the pitch. Statz calculates impact based on match context, and Hasaranga’s all-round contribution in a losing cause was remarkable – his bowling figures of 2/17 at an economy of 4.25 were the tightest of any bowler in the match.

The official Player of the Match went to Shamar Joseph for his five-wicket haul. While Joseph’s 5/33 was undeniably devastating, Statz’s context-weighted model rates Hasaranga’s dual impact higher – a classic disagreement between headline figures and overall match influence. Hasaranga’s season mi_rating now sits at a scaled total of 471.70 across seven matches (average 67.39), confirming his status as one of the most impactful all-rounders in T20I cricket right now.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Wanindu Hasaranga – 148.47 – All-round masterclass: 21 off 13 with the bat, 2/17 from four overs with the ball. Best economy in the match (4.25) and the only player to make a significant impact in both disciplines.
2. Shamar Joseph – 95.50 – Career-best T20I figures of 5/33 demolished Sri Lanka’s top and middle order. Removed Nissanka, both Mendises, Rathnayake and Shanaka to set up the win.
3. Jason Holder – 94.88 – Match-closing cameo of 21* off 5 balls (SR 420, three sixes) plus 1/33 with the ball. His late fireworks sealed the chase in the 20th over.
4. Dunith Wellalage – 88.37 – Top-scored for Sri Lanka with 43 off 28 (six fours, one six) in the lower order rescue act, then chipped in with 1/23 from three overs. All-round contribution in a losing cause.
5. Sherfane Rutherford – 58.21 – Unbeaten 54 off 40 (three fours, four sixes) to anchor the chase from 53/4. Held his nerve under pressure and was there at the finish.

Turning Point

West Indies were in deep trouble at 53/4 when Shimron Hetmyer was caught in the ninth over, leaving them needing 117 from 70 balls with just the middle and lower order remaining. The turning point came not as a single dismissal but as a rescue – Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford put on 81 from 50 balls to flip the match on its head. By the time Powell fell caught at 134/5 in the 17th over (over 16.6, score 134, bowled by Wellalage), the required rate was manageable and Jason Holder had licence to attack from ball one.

Match Context

This was the 91st match of 132 in the 2026 T20 Internationals season. West Indies sit 7th in the ICC T20I rankings (rating 233, 55 matches), while Sri Lanka are 9th (rating 221, 43 matches). The result gives West Indies a 2-1 series victory after Sri Lanka levelled with a 37-run win in the second T20I. Across all T20I meetings, West Indies now lead the head-to-head 7-4.

For the hosts, this series win confirms their upward trajectory after a mixed T20 World Cup campaign earlier in the year. For Sri Lanka, it’s another away series defeat – they’ve now lost three of their last four T20I results and will need to regroup quickly.

Full scorecard on Statz