West Indies bowlers toil as Sri Lanka scripts fightback

It was a day that saw the West Indies bowlers working overtime to pick up wickets, as the visiting Sri Lanka side showed grit and determination with the bat, to seize day three honours in the first Test in Antigua.

If the first two days belonged to the home side, day three certainly went the way of the visitors, who closed on 255 for four, batting a second time, a lead which has now crept up to 153 runs, after the West Indies were bowled out for 271.

The home side added just three runs to their overnight score of 268 for eight, as pacer Vishwa Fernando snapped up Rahkeem Cornwall for 61 and Shannon Gabriel for a duck in just the second over of the day.

Facing a deficit of 102 runs, the Sri Lankans got off to the worst possible start, losing captain Dimuth Karunaratne, caught at slip off Kemar Roach for three, at eight for one.

That would be the only respite the home side would get for a while, as the pair of Lahiru Thirimanne and Oshada Fernando locked the West Indies’ shop and opened their franchise to conjure up a record second-wicket stand.

UNLIKELY SOURCE

They put on 162 runs in two sessions of batting, with Fernando being the aggressor, hitting 11 fours in his knock of 91. It took the unlikely source of Kyle Mayers to break the lengthy partnership at 170 for two, and that wicket brought about a few more scalps for the home side, who once again found their grove and hit their straps.

Mayers was in on the action eight runs later, as he gave wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva his second catch of the innings to remove Dinesh Chandimal for four.

Kemar Roach then capped off a fine evening session for the home side, when he produced a beauty to finally get rid of Thirimanne for 76.

Dhananjaya Da Silva on 46 and Pathum Nissanka on 21, will resume on today’s fourth day looking to extend their second innings lead, which now stands at 153 runs.

SRI LANKA 1st innings 169

WEST INDIES 1st Innings

(overnight 268 for eight)

*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 b V Fernando 61

K Roach not out 4

S Gabriel lbw b V Fernando 0

Extras (b1, lb6, w1, nb9) 17

TOTAL (all out, 103 overs) 271

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), 9-271 (Cornwall), 10-271 (Gabriel)

Bowling: Lakmal 25-9-47-5 (nb3), V Fernando 17-6-52-2, Chameera 22-1-71-2 (w1, nb2), Embuldeniya 28-6-64-1 (nb4), Dhananjaya 11-2-30-0.

SRI LANKA 2nd Innings

L Thirimanne b Roach 76

*D Karunaratne c Campbell b Roach 3

O Fernando c wkp Da Silva b Mayers 91

D Chandimal c wkp Da Silva b Mayers 4

D de Silva not out 46

P Nissanka not out 21

Extras (b10, nb4) 14

TOTAL (4 wkts, 86 overs) 255

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Karunaratne), 2-170 (O Fernando), 3-178 (Chandimal), 4-189 (Thirimanne)

Bowling: Roach 13-3-28-2 (nb2), Gabriel 11-2-30-0, Holder 14-4-22-0 (nb1), Joseph 12-2-46-0, Cornwall 25-3-85-0, Brathwaite 7-1-24-0, Mayers 4-0-10-2 (nb1).

Position: Sri Lanka lead by 153 runs with six second innings wickets intact.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: G Brathwaite, J Wilson; TV – N Duguid.