Close Sri Lanka 288 and 224 for 6 dec beat West Indies 191 and 190 (Samuels 54, Muralitharan 6 for 81) by 131 runs
Scorecard He's done it again. Muttiah Muralitharan took ten wickets for the fourth consecutive Test as Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 131 runs in a thrillling finsh at Kandy. There were only 37 balls left when Murali gave Sri Lanka an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. It is their first series victory over West Indies, who have now lost 20 of their last 24 Tests overseas.

Murali was denied for a long time by the vigilance of Brian Lara and Marlon Samuels, but after Niroshan Bandaratilleke snared Lara controversially off the second ball after tea, Murali got to work. He ended an irksome seventh-wicket partnership of 59 in 19 overs between Samuels and Mervyn Dillon when he cleaned Dillon up before finishing things off with three wickets for no runs in seven balls.

Samuels was lbw for a brave 54, and the hapless pair of Pedro Collins and Colin Stuart were caught firmly in the headlights. Collins tried to cut a ripping, spitting delivery that came back a long way from outside off to bowl him, and then Stuart watched in horror as a forward defensive spun back onto his stumps. Murali had taken his ninth Test ten-for, equalling Richard Hadlee's world record, and Sri Lanka's run of three consecutive defeats in Kandy was over.

A Sri Lankan victory looked unlikely for much of a taut final day as West Indies knuckled down in pursuit of the draw that would have kept the series alive. Sri Lanka's batsmen finally got on with it in the morning session, adding 96 runs in 20 overs before Sanath Jayasuriya invited West Indies to chase 322 in a minimum of 85 overs.

There was never much danger of them going for the runs, particularly when they lost two wickets in the ten overs before lunch. Chris Gayle got a first-baller, caught behind off Chaminda Vaas, though whether he actually hit the ball is a moot point, and Daren Ganga fecklessly shouldered arms at a delivery from Muralitharan that clipped his off stump. He made 8. That was the last ball before lunch, and with West Indies 25 for 2, Sri Lanka were slight favourites.

West Indies turned things round by losing only two wickets in the afternoon session, with Lara digging in resolutely. He added 58 in 23 overs with Ramnaresh Sarwan before Sarwan fell for 47, caught via bat and pad off Muralitharan (83 for 3). Carl Hooper then managed to use up 38 balls for 4 before he misjudged one from left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratilleke and was lbw (107 for 4).

At tea West Indies were 110 for 4, but the game turned straight after the interval when an incredulous Lara was given out for 45, caught at short leg off Bandaratilleke. There was some doubt as to whether Hashan Tillekeratne had taken the catch cleanly - replays suggested he didn't - but Lara had to go, and after standing motionless he raised his hands in disbelief as he trudged off, an act which may invite censure from match referee Raman Subba Row.

Ridley Jacobs soon followed for five, caught behind off Vaas (126 for 6), but then Samuels and Dillon batted with increasing confidence to shepherd West Indies to within 14 overs of safety. Sanath Jayasuriya was even forced to turn to the part-time offspin of Tillekeratne, who had bowled only 6.4 overs in 61 Tests before this match.

But as the tension mounted, it was his premier offspinner who had the final say. He saw off Dillon (185 for 7), then Samuels (190 for 8). The hapless trio of Dinanath Ramnarine, Collins and Stuart - who have made only two runs between them in the series - were never likely to delay him for long. They didn't. In his last four Tests, Murali has taken 42 wickets at 14.57. On Thursday he has another appointment at Colombo with a ragged West Indies outfit, who now face yet another overseas Test whitewash: it would be their fifth in seven series.

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