Pollard Hits Six Sixes, Dananjaya Took Hat-Trick In West Indies vs Sri Lanka First T20I

West Indies beat Sri Lanka in the first T20I match by 4 wickets in Antigua.

Sri Lanka was held to 131/9 after being sent out to bat, with debutant Pathum Nissanka top-scoring with 39 off 34. Obed McCoy was the best of the West Indies' bowlers, taking 2/25 off his four overs. 

The home side achieved the target comfortably with 6.5 overs to spare. 

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard on Wednesday became only the third man to hit six sixes in an international over. The hapless bowler was Akila Dananjaya who in his previous over had claimed a hat-trick of wickets. 

Akila Dananjaya dismissed Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran off consecutive deliveries, before being hit for six sixes in an over by Kieron Pollard.

Pollard followed in the footsteps of South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs (2007 World Cup against Netherlands) and India's Yuvraj Singh (2007 T20 World Cup against England) by achieving the rare feat.

West Indies' openers Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons bludgeoned 52 off the first 20 balls as the two-time T20 World Cup winners looked comfortably on course.

However, having hit three sixes off three balls off Mathews' opening over, Lewis was caught by Danushka Gunathilaka in the deep off Dananjaya for a brisk 28.

That brought 41-year-old Chris Gayle to the crease for his first international appearance in two years.

But he lasted just one ball when he was plumb lbw to Dananjaya who then completed his hat-trick by having Nicholas Pooran caught behind by Niroshan Dickwella.

The West Indies were 52-3 which soon became 62-4 when leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed Simmons, the opener having made 26, before Pollard launched his demolition job.

Hasaranga survived the carnage and finished with figures of 3-12 off his four overs.

Despite his hat-trick, Dananjaya's four overs cost 62 runs.

Sri Lanka, bidding to win a match for the first time in a year, made a below-par 131-9.

The tourists were asked to bat by the 2012 and 2016 world champions with Pathum Nissanka marking his Sri Lanka debut by top scoring with 39 off 34 balls including four fours and one of his team's three sixes.

The 22-year-old batsman shared a 51-run second wicket partnership with opener Dickwella, who made 33.

Sri Lanka - 131/9 (20 Overs)

• N. Dickwella b Holder 33
• D. Gunathilaka c Pollard b Sinclair 4
• P. Nissanka st Pooran b Allen 39
• D. Chandimal c Holder b McCoy 11
• A. Mathews c Simmons b Edwards 5
• T. Perera c Bravo b McCoy 1
• W. Hasaranga c Allen b Bravo 12
• A. Bandara run out 10
• A. Dananjaya not out 9
• D. Chameera run out 2

Extras (lb2, w3) 5

Did not bat: Nuwan Pradeep

Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Gunathilaka), 2-71 (Dickwella), 3-83 (Nissanka), 4-96 (Mathews), 5-97 (Chandimal), 6-106 (Perera), 7-111 (Hasaranga), 8-126 (Bandara), 9-131 (Chameera)

Bowling: Sinclair 3-0-26-1, Edwards 4-0-29-1 (1w), Holder 4-0-19-1, McCoy 4-0-25-2 (2w), Bravo 4-0-26-1, Allen 1-0-4-1

West Indies - 134-6 (13.1 Overs)

• L. Simmons lbw b Hasaranga 26
• E. Lewis c Gunathilaka b Dananjaya 28
• C. Gayle lbw b Dananjaya 0
• N. Pooran c Dickwella b Dananjaya 0
• K. Pollard lbw b Hasaranga 38
• J. Holder not out 29
• F. Allen lbw b Hasaranga 0
• D. Bravo not out 4

Extras (lb4, nb1, w4) 9

Did not bat: Kevin Sinclair, Obed McCoy,Fidel Edwards

Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Lewis), 2-52 (Gayle), 3-52 (Pooran), 4-62 (Simmons), 5-101 (Pollard), 6-101 (Allen)

Bowling: Mathews 1-0-19-0, Dananjaya 4-0-62-3, Chameera 3-0-29-0 (4w, 1nb), Hasaranga 4-0-12-3, Bandara 1-0-2-0, Pradeep 0.1-0-6-0

Result: West Indies win by four wickets

The second and third games in the series also take place at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on March 5 and 7, to be followed by three one-day internationals and two Tests.

Watch Highlights