NORTH SOUND – West Indies lost three wickets – two to pacer Suranga Lakmal – before tea, but crawled to within six runs of taking a first innings lead over Sri Lanka in the first Test.
At the break, the Windies were 163 for five, replying to the Sri Lankans’ first innings total of 169, with Jason Holder not out on 18 and Joshua da Silva not out on 11.
But the Caribbean side failed to ease concern about their batting, after they resumed from their lunchtime total of 72 for two and engaged in a fierce battle with the visitors’ pace attack in particular.
Though Kyle Mayers launched a counter-offensive to hit the top score so far of 45 and John Campbell showed grit in his 42, all two and Jermaine Blackwood fell to ill-advised strokes in the face of purposeful and disciplined bowling from the Sri Lanka pacers.
Campbell was caught behind off Dushmantha Chameera, groping outside the off-stump in the 10th over after lunch, and Blackwood was bowled by Lakmal for two, driving loosely to a delivery that nipped back five overs later.
Mayers was fully into stride and pummelled anything fractionally off line or length from the Sri Lankan bowlers.
He cracked six fours and two sixes from 70 balls and was the only West Indies batsman to show aggressive intent against the visitors’ bowlers.
But the left-hander had a difficult time freeing his arms, when Lakmal, at the height of a spirited afternoon spell, switched his line of attack from over to around the wicket, and he was caught at second slip, driving loosely at a delivery outside off-stump.
Lakmal has been the pick of the visitors’ bowlers so far with three for 32 from his 18 overs.
Summarised scores:
SRI LANKA 169 (Lahiru Thirimanne 70, Niroshan Dickwella 32, Dhananjaya 13, Dimuth Karunaratne 12; Jason Holder 17.4-6-27-5, Kemar Roach 3-47).
WEST INDIES 163 for five (Kyle Mayers 45, John Campbell 42, Nkrumah Bonner 31, Jason Holder 18 not out, Joshua da Silva 11 not out; Suranga Lakmal 3-32).
(AR)
