Port of Spain: Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit a six off the last ball of the game to give West Indies a thrilling win over Sri Lanka in their first one-day match on Thursday.

Chasing Sri Lanka’s total of 235 for seven, West Indies finished with their last pair of Chanderpaul and Fidel Edwards at the crease needing 10 from the last two balls and up against Sri Lanka’s top bowler Chaminda Vaas.

Chanderpaul hit the penultimate ball for a straight four and then crashed a full toss from Vaas over the mid-wicket boundary for a remarkable win.

“We knew that Shiv was there and once he got most of the strike we were in with a chance,” said Dwayne Bravo.

Sri Lanka, fielding several young faces and without key bowlers Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralidharan, were reeling at 49 for five after Bravo claimed three early wickets. Chamara Kapugedera (95) and Chamara Silva (67) then put on a sixth wicket partnership of 159 to turn around the innings.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle began aggressively hitting eight fours in his 52 before he was trapped leg before by debutant spinner Ajantha Mendis with the home side on 109 for two.

With 17 runs needed from the last two overs, Suliemann Benn played and missed at the first four balls of Kulasekara’s over and then was run out on the fifth ball.

Chanderpaul hit a four off the last ball of that over to leave last man Edwards on strike with 13 runs needed from the final six balls.

The two teams meet again at the Oval on Saturday before concluding the series in St Lucia on Tuesday.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s joy knows no bounds (extreme right) after hitting Chaminda Vaas for a four and over-boundary in the last two deliveries for the West Indies win on Thursday