Hope Century Leads Windies To Victory In 1st ODI As Gunathilaka Out Obstructing Field

Shai Hope marked his return to West Indies duty with an assured hundred in guiding his team to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first One-Day International of a three-match ser

"I just had patience and trusted my ability," said Hope after receiving the Man of the Match award.

"I made sure I negated the threat they threw at us. (Wanindu) Hasaranga was the main threat and I thought we played him well."

Chameera was Sri Lanka's lone wicket-taker, eventually breaching the defence of Hope after earlier ending an opening stand of 143 when he yorked Evin Lewis, whose innings of 65 occupied 90 deliveries and was decorated with four fours and two sixes.

Hasaranga bowled a miserly ten-over spell but could not get the wickets needed to keep his team in the hunt.

Earlier, Sri Lanka subsided from a promising start with Gunathilaka's demise making the headlines.

Seeking to regain his ground at the non-striker's end in turning down an opportunity for a single in the 22nd over off the bowling of home captain Kieron Pollard, Gunathilaka, who was moving backwards, kicked the ball out of the path of Pollard who was attempting to effect a runout.

With the West Indies appealing for the dismissal, on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Gregory Brathwaite turned to television official Nigel Duguid for clarification and the interpretation came back that it was determined to be a deliberate effort by the left-handed opener to impede the bowler.