Sangakkara guides Sri Lanka to 277-9 against Windies

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COLOMBO: Kumar Sangakkara hit a solid 75 to help Sri Lanka post a challenging 277-9 against the West Indies in the third and final one-dayer on Sunday despite Sulieman Benn's maiden four-wicket haul.

Left-arm spinner Benn grabbed 4-38 off 10 disciplined overs to reduce Sri Lanka to 244-8 from a healthy 205-3, but Angelo Mathews smashed an unbeaten 36 off 22 balls to help the hosts plunder 27 in the last two overs.

The late onslaught kept alive Sri Lanka's hopes of clinching the series after winning the second match on Thursday. The first game was abandoned due to rain.

Sri Lanka made a brisk start after being put in to bat at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo as openers Upul Tharanga (39) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (30) made 54 runs for the first wicket.

Seamer Dwayne Bravo provided the breakthrough in the ninth over when he had Dilshan caught behind after the opener had hit one six and two fours in his 28-ball knock.

Benn got his first wicket when he bowled Tharanga, but former skipper Mahela Jayawardene gave Sangakkara valuable support to steady the innings with a 95-run stand for the third wicket.

Sangakkara went for a big shot after reaching his half-century, lofting left-arm spinner Nikita Miller over square leg for six, but fell just when he looked like stepping up the run rate in the closing overs.

The Sri Lankan captain cracked one six and four boundaries in his 105-ball knock before being bowled by Benn, who then accounted for Chamara Kapugedera and Thilan Samaraweera.

Dwayne Bravo finished with 2-58.