Windies pacers rattle Lankans

Published June 28, 2003

KINGSTON (Jamaica), June 27: West Indies fast bowlers struck it rich to have Sri Lanka struggling at 77-3 at lunch on the opening day of the second and final Test at the Sabina Park here on Friday.

Corey Collymore, Vasbert Drakes and debutant Fidel Edwards each grabbed one wicket to keep the pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen in the morning session.

Kumar Sangakkara was batting on 14 at the break.

West Indies skipper Brian Lara’s decision to put the tourists into bat after winning the toss paid rich dividends as Collymore and Drakes removed veteran openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu in their opening spells.

Left-handed Jayasuriya was the first to go, caught by wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs off Collymore after hitting five fours in his 37-ball 26.

Atapattu, who scored a century in the opening Test, contributed just 15 this time as he was caught by Chris Gayle off Drakes to leave his team tottering at 48-2.

Mahela Jayawardene (10) fell just before lunch, caught by a diving Gayle in the slips to become Edwards’s first Test victim.

Both sides made two changes from the teams that drew the opening Test in St Lucia on Tuesday.

The hosts included fast bowlers Drakes and Edwards in a bid to strengthen their attack, dropping batsman Daren Ganga and Mervyn Dillon.

Left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara Mirando made his first Test appearance for Sri Lanka, who axed spinners Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Thilan Samaraweera.Off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena was also included.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings):

M.Atapattu c Gayle b Drakes 15

S.T. Jayasuriya c Jacobs b Collymore 26

K.C. Sangakkara not out 14

D.P.M. Jayawardene c Gayle b Edwards 10

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-1, NB-5) 12

TOTAL (for three wkts, 25.2 overs) 77

FALL OF WKTS: 1-38, 2-48, 3-77.

TO BAT: H.P. Tillekeratne, R.S. Kaluwitharana, H.D.P.K. Dharmasena, W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, M.T.T. Mirando, M. Muralitharan, R.A.P. Nissanka.

BOWLING (to-date): Collymore 7-3-10-1; Taylor 6-0-33-0; Drakes 7-2-18-1; Edwards 5.2-0-10-1.

WEST INDIES: C.H. Gayle, W.W. Hinds, R.R. Sarwan, B.C. Lara, M.N. Samuels, R.D. Jacobs, O.A.C. Banks, V.C. Drakes, C.D. Collymore, F.H. Edwards, J.E. Taylor.

UMPIRES: D.B. Hair (Australia) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).

TV UMPIRE: E.A. Nicholls (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).—AFP/Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Centre vs provinces
Updated 10 Jun, 2026

Centre vs provinces

The reason the centre finds itself in this position is rooted in its failure to expand the tax net and boost revenues.
Party in crisis
10 Jun, 2026

Party in crisis

THE young KP chief minister must be starting to realise just how thorny a seat he occupies. There has been a flurry...
Varsity woes
10 Jun, 2026

Varsity woes

FINANCIAL crises affecting public sector universities across Pakistan are now having an impact on academic...
Doctor attacked
09 Jun, 2026

Doctor attacked

AN act of reprehensible violence has shaken the medical community. On Saturday, an employee of the Provincial Civil...
AJK flare-up
Updated 09 Jun, 2026

AJK flare-up

The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly shot in an altercation with law-enforcers.
Fault lines
09 Jun, 2026

Fault lines

THE April 8 ceasefire that halted hostilities between Israel and Iran has encountered its most serious test yet....