West Indies skipper Dwayne Bravo says he had "sent a message" to Chris Gayle as he was making a mockery of the Sri Lankan attack, asking the opener to try and go for a bonus-point win in the first match of the Tri-nation One-Day series here.
Chasing 209, Gayle eventually did manage a bonus-point six-wicket win as he smashed a 100-ball 109 to lead his team to victory with as many as 73 balls to spare at the Sabina Park.
"In the 29th over, we sent a message to Chris to try and win it with a bonus point," Bravo said at the post-match presentation ceremony yesterday.
He further added: "Winning the first game is always important. It was important to rotate the bowlers on a flat wicket. We kept taking wickets and stifling their innings."
Opting to field, West Indies rode on Sunil Narine's 4/40 to bowl out Sri Lanka for a modest total despite skipper Angelo Mathews' battling, unbeaten half-century.
"Narine is our mystery bowler, happy to have him," Bravo said.
Man of the Match Gayle was happy to have got the runs in front of his home crowd.
"(It's) been a while having got a century, really good to get it in front of the home crowd," Gayle said.
"We restricted them well on a good batting wicket, we utilised the conditions well in the morning. The opening partnership was vital.
"Coming from England and getting a century was a good thing for me. I am home, you know the conditions well," he added.
Mathews felt his team could never get going after losing the toss.
"(It was an) important toss, it was two paced, holding up a bit, it got easier, but a special hundred by a special person.
"We had to adapt to the wicket but we lost wickets and could not get going, Mahela (Jaywardene) batted brilliantly but he had no partners. We thought we had a chance, the wicket was two paced but it flattened out.
"When Gayle gets going, no attack is enough and no ground big enough," Mathews said.
