Cornwall and co. keep Windies in control
Published:Tuesday | March 23, 2021 | 12:19 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Two days ago, Antiguan Rahkeem Cornwall told reporters that he had “come to make a score” on his home ground and that he did, as the burly right-hander has so far top-scored for the West Indies, to leave the home side in a good position after day-two of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Cornwall, who will enter today, the third day, on 60, batted with authority to leave the West Indies on 268 for eight, for an overall lead of 99 runs.
It was resolute batting as he and Joshua Da Silva resuscitated the home side’s innings after they entered the final session on 163 for five, six runs shy of Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 169.
The pair added a valuable 90 runs for the eighth-wicket, not only to overhaul the visitors’ score, but set up a respectable lead with much cricket still to play.
Cornwall was his usual aggressive self, hitting nine fours and two towering sixes in his 79-ball knock. He brought up his half-century off 62 balls, allowing him to become the first Antiguan to score a Test fifty at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
“I know I have good batting skills and I try my best to bat with Joshua (Da Silva) and try to get us to a decent score and just back myself,” Cornwall said. “Right now, it’s just confidence, I put in some work in the nets with the batting coach and I tell myself I have to score some runs and I think this is the game.”
TREMENDOUS MATURITY
Wicketkeeper Da Silva, who has shown tremendous maturity with the bat since his introduction to the side, fell just four runs short of what would have been his third Test half-century.
Like Da Silva, a number of the West Indies batsmen got starts, after the hosts resumed the day on 13 without loss.
They lost skipper Kraigg Brathwaite early for three to the dangerous Suranga Lakmal, who proved to be the main destroyer in the West Indies innings, bagging five wickets to peg back the hosts.
John Campbell looked technically good for his 42, before he was undone by a beauty from Dushmantha Chameera, who picked up two wickets after the left-hander had put on 56 runs earlier for the second wicket with Nkrumah Bonner, who made 31.
It took a few lusty blows from Kyle Mayers to inject some life into the West Indies innings, as they were stuttering at 120 for four after Lakmal uprooted the stumps of Jermaine Blackwood for two.
Mayers hit two big sixes and six handsome fours to get to 45, but once again, the menacing Lakmal found his edge to peg back the hosts at 133 for five.
Former captain Jason Holder tried to play a sedate role in his 19 runs from 61 balls, but Lakmal, who has so far picked up five for 45, was once again on the radar and rattled Holders stumps at 169 for six.
Alzarri Joseph didn’t trouble the score before Cornwall and Da Silva came to the rescue, as the hosts sit pretty on 268 for eight with Cornwall most certainly eyeing a century. With him is Kemar Roach on four.
SCOREBOARD
SRI LANKA 1st innings 169
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
(overnight 13 without loss)
*K Brathwaite c Dhananjaya b Lakmal 3
J Campbell c wkp Dickwella b Chameera 42
N Bonner lbw b Embuldeniya 31
K Mayers c Dhananjaya b Lakmal 45
J Blackwood b Lakmal 2
J Holder b Lakmal 19
+J Da Silva c wkp Dickwella b Chameera 46
A Joseph c Chandimal b Lakmal 0
R Cornwall not out 60
K Roach not out 4
Extras (lb6, w1, nb9) 16
TOTAL (8 wkts, 101 overs) 268
To bat: S Gabriel.
Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Brathwaite), 2-69 (Bonner), 3-95 (Campbell), 4-120 (Blackwood), 5-133 (Mayers), 6-169 (Holder), 7-171 (Joseph), 8-261 (Da Silva)
Bowling: Lakmal 24-9-45-5 (nb3), V Fernando 16-5-52-0, Chameera 22-1-71-2 (w1, nb2), Embuldeniya 28-6-64-1 (nb4), Dhananjaya 11-2-30-0.
Position: West Indies lead by 99 runs with two wickets intact.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: G Brathwaite, J Wilson; TV – N Duguid.