PROVIDENCE (Guyana), March 24: Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the opening Test as West Indies limped to lunch on 107 for four on day three at the Providence Stadium on Monday.

Left-arm seamer Thilan Mirando grabbed two wickets and ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan added one.

Ramnaresh Sarwan provided resistance in an unbeaten 57 but the home team was still struggling in reply to the visitors’ first innings of 476 for eight declared.

Mirando, in only his second Test, took two for 32. His nine-over spell to begin the day dented West Indies.

Muralitharan took one for 38 and should have had a second when his skipper Mahela Jayawardene dropped an easy chance at first slip off Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo went to the interval unbeaten on six.

Mirando gave Sri Lanka an early breakthrough when left-handed opener Devon Smith fiddled outside the off stump and feathered an edge to wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene. Smith added just six runs to his overnight eight.

Vice-captain Sarwan, in his first Test for 10 months due to various injuries, batted with authority. The stylish right-hander brought up his half century off 101 balls in two hours, 10 minutes and hit five fours, including one all-run.

He and fellow Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul were threatening to loosen Sri Lanka’s grip in a fourth-wicket stand of 41 when Muralitharan struck just before lunch.

Chanderpaul compiled 23 off 53 balls before he lofted a catch to short mid-off as he tried to nudge into the leg-side at 99-4.

On Sunday, Mahela Jayawardene hit his 22nd century — hitting 136 as Sri Lanka, overnight 269 for four, declared at 476 for eight an hour before the close.

Chaminda Vaas contributed an unbeaten 54. West Indies stuttered to 29 for one after Vaas removed captain Chris Gayle for a duck.

Jayawardene, who resumed the innings on 25, dominated the day in notching his third century in successive innings following scores of 195 and 213 not out against England in Colombo and Galle last December.

It was the 30-year-old’s first century against West Indies and was spiced with 13 boundaries off 234 balls.

The Sri Lanka captain and veteran Vaas forged a magnificent seventh-wicket partnership of 126 that dulled the West Indian edge.

Vaas should have been dismissed when just four but Smith floored a low catch at third slip off Jerome Taylor.

Jayawardene was chanceless and stroked the ball beautifully off the front foot, especially through the leg-side and straight down the ground.

He brought up his century, off 190 deliveries and in five hours, 45 minutes before tea, which his team took at 418-6.

The Sri Lankans upped the tempo after the interval and Jayawardene was dropped on 126 by Bravo off Gayle. He eventually fell to Gayle at 457-7, the victim of an unfortunate decision from umpire Billy Bowden.

The silky right-hander missed a reverse sweep and was adjudged leg before although the ball cannoned into the glove.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings):

M.G. Vandort lbw b Taylor 52

B.S.M. Warnapura c Ramdin b Bravo 120

K.C. Sangakkara c Smith b Taylor 50

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene lbw b Gayle 136

T.T. Samaraweera c sub b Taylor 0

T.M. Dilshan lbw b Taylor 20

H.A.P.W. Jayawardene b Powell 21

W.P.U.J.C. Vaas not out 54

M.T.T. Mirando c sub b Gayle 0

H.M.R.K.B. Herath not out 13

EXTRAS (LB-7, W-1, NB-2) 10

TOTAL (for eight decl, 162 overs) 476

FALL OF WKTS: 1-130, 2-205, 3-243, 4-243, 5-277, 6-331, 7-457, 8-459.

DID NOT BAT: M. Muralitharan.

BOWLING: Powell 29-3-89-1; Taylor 33-8-110-4; Gayle 27-4-66-2; Bravo 30-3-74-1 (2nb, 1w); Benn 40-6-120-0; Hinds 3-0-10-0.

WEST INDIES (1st Innings, overnight 29-1)

C.H. Gayle lbw b Vaas 0

D.S. Smith c P. J’wardene b Mirando 14

R.R. Sarwan not out 57

M.N. Samuels c P. J’wardene b Mirando 5

S. Chanderpaul c Warnapura b Murali 23

D.J. Bravo not out 6

EXTRAS (NB-2) 2

TOTAL (for four wkts, 44 overs) 107

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-46, 3-58, 4-99.

TO BAT: R.O. Hinds, D. Ramdin, S.J. Benn, J.E. Taylor, D.B.L. Powell.

BOWLING (to-date): Vaas 9-3-21-1; Mirando 13-3-32-2; Dilshan 1-0-2-0; Muralitharan 13-1-38-1 (1nb); Herath 8-2-14-0 (1nb).—Agencies