NORTH SOUND – A second stoppage for rain prompted lunch to be taken 10 minutes early, after West Indies struck twice in the morning period in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Antigua.
At the interval, the Sri Lankans were 189 for five, replying to the Windies’ first innings total of 354, on the third day of the match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium with Pathum Nissanka not out on 14 and Niroshan Dickwella not out on nine.
Pacer Shannon Gabriel made the early breakthrough for West Indies, after Dinesh Chandimal, on 34, was dropped off his bowling in the first over of the morning by slip fielder Rahkeem Cornwall.
Gabriel persevered, however, and struck in the sixth over of the morning, when he had Chandimal caught at deep square leg for 44 from a miscued hook.
There was a 10-minute stoppage for rain shortly after the morning drinks break, and the Windies continued to hunt for wickets on resumption and they were rewarded in the fourth over before lunch – and it came from an unlikely source.
Jermaine Blackwood, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin, had Dhananjaya de Silva lbw for 39, playing across a well-flighted delivery, but he chose not to review umpire Joel Wilson’s decision, and TV replays suggested that the ball would have missed the stumps.
Summarised scores:
WEST INDIES 354 (Kraigg Brathwaite 126, Rahkeem Cornwall 73, Kyle Mayers 49, Jason Holder 30, Alzarri Joseph 29, Jermaine Blackwood 18; Suranga Lakmal 4-94, Dushmanth Chameera 3-69).
SRI LANKA 189 for five (Lahiru Thirimanne 55, Dinesh Chandimal 44, Dhananjaya de Silva 39, Oshada Fernando 18, Pathum Nissanka 14 not out).
(AR)