NORTH SOUND – Contrasting half-centuries from their captain Kraigg Brathwaite and left-hander Kyle Mayers helped West Indies stretch their lead past 250 before tea against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Antigua.
Brathwaite was not out on 60, but Mayers was dismissed for 55, and the Windies were 173 for three in their second innings at the break on the penultimate day of the match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, for an overall lead of 269.
Brathwaite and Mayers completed an 82-run, third wicket stand, after West Indies resumed from their lunchtime total of 69 for two.
The Windies captain survived his second close call for the day on 34, when forward short leg fielder Oshada Fernando failed to hold on to a high chance of pacer Dushmantha Chameera in the first hour after lunch.
Mayers played aggressively and was the perfect foil for the typically resolute Brathwaite, and he reached his 50 from only 63 balls, when he pulled Suranga Lakmal through mid-on for his eighth four.
The left-hander had been a target of short-pitched bowling, particularly from Chameera, and gave as good as he got from the Sri Lankan pacers.
He was just getting into the swing of things, when he misjudged the length of a delivery from Lakmal, bowling around the wicket, and was adjudged lbw, essaying a pull, a decision confirmed after he reviewed umpire Gregory Brathwaite’s ruling.
Jason Holder, not out on 18, joined Brathwaite, and they battled through the remainder of the period and have so far put on 33 – unbroken – for the fourth wicket.
Brathwaite reached 50 from 137 balls, when he turned Lakmal into mid-wicket for a single and will, perhaps, be eyeing the rare feat of his second hundred of the match before his side contemplates a declaration.
Lakmal has been the most successful Sri Lankan bowler, taking two for 39 from 12 overs.
Earlier, pacer Kemar Roach grabbed the last two Sri Lanka wickets in the third full over of the morning and the visitors were bowled out for 258 to give West Indies a first innings lead of 96.
Roach ended with three for 58 from 18 overs, making him the most successful Windies bowler, and carried his tally of scalps at this venue to 39 at 16.05 runs apiece in only seven Tests.
The two-Test series is level 0-0, after the first Test ended in a draw last Thursday at the same venue.
The team that wins this match will hold the Garfield Sobers-Michael Tissera Trophy, symbol of Test supremacy between the two sides, which the Sri Lankans have held since its inception six years ago.
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) and 173 for three (Kraigg Brathwaite 60 not out, Kyle Mayers 55, Jason Holder 18 not out, Jermaine Blackwood 18, John Campbell 10; Suranga Lakmal 2-39).
SRI LANKA 258 (Lahiru Thirimanne 55, Pathum Nissanka 51, Dinesh Chandimal 44, Dhananjaya de Silva 39, Niroshan Dickwella 20, Oshada Fernando 18; Kemar Roach 3-58, Jason Holder 2-39, Alzarri Joseph 2-64).
(AR)
