NORTH SOUND: West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach struck early to remove Dimuth Karunaratne in just the fifth over of Sri Lanka’s second innings but the visitors knuckled down to reach 67 for one at lunch, still 35 runs behind, on the third day of the first Test in Antigua on Tuesday.

Lahiru Thirimanne looked solid in getting to the interval on 28 and added an unbroken partnership of 59 for the second wicket with Oshada Fernando (34 not out).

Roach was earlier left undefeated after Sri Lanka wrapped up the home side’s first innings just two overs into the day at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium. Vishwa Fernando dismissed top-scorer Rahkeem Cornwall for 61 and Shannon Gabriel within the space of four deliveries as West Indies were all out for 271, a first innings lead of 102.

Suranga Lakmal missed out the tail but ended with career-best innings figures of 5-47.

With Cornwall resuming on 60 and the West Indies already ahead by 99 runs with two wickets in hand, any hope of extending the lead significantly beyond the 100-run mark ended when Fernando bowled the right-hander through the gate.

Shannon Gabriel was trapped plumb leg-before to end the innings and cause some relief in the Sri Lankan camp that they were finally able to complete a task they appeared to have under control when the West Indies were 171-7 after tea on the second day.

That relief swiftly descended to anxiety when Karunaratne again fell cheaply, making just three before edging an attempted drive to a full-length delivery from Roach for John Campbell to take the comfortable catch at third slip.

However, Thirimanne and Fernando dropped anchor to take the Sri Lankans through to lunch and give them hope of building a substantial second innings.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings) 169 (H.D.R. Thirimanne 70; J.O. Holder 5-27, K.A.J. Roach 3-47).

WEST INDIES (1st Innings, (overnight 268-8):

K.C. Brathwaite c de Silva b Lakmal 3

J.D. Campbell c Dickwella b Chameera 42

N. Bonner lbw b Embuldeniya 31

K.R. Mayers c de Silva b Lakmal 45

J. Blackwood b Lakmal 2

J.O. Holder b Lakmal 19

J. da Silva c Dickwella b Chameera 46

A.S. Joseph c Chandimal b Lakmal 0

R.R.S. Cornwall b V. Fernando 61

K.A.J. Roach not out 5

S.T. Gabriel lbw b V. Fernando 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-6, W-1, NB-9) 17

TOTAL (all out, 103 overs) 268

FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-69, 3-95, 4-120, 5-133, 6-169, 7-171, 8-261, 9-271.

BOWLING: Lakmal 25-9-47-5 (3nb); M.V.T. Fernando 17-6-52-2; Chameera 22-1-71-2 (2nb, 1w); Embuldeniya 28-6-64-1 (4nb); de Silva 11-2-30-0.

SRI LANKA (2nd Innings):

H.D.R.L. Thirimanne not out 28

F.D.M. Karunaratne c Campbell b Roach 3

B.O.P. Fernando not out 34

EXTRAS (NB-2) 2

TOTAL (for one wkt, 21 overs) 67

FALL OF WKT: 1-8.

BOWLING (to-date): Roach 6-1-17-1 (2nb); Gabriel 4-0-15-0; Holder 3-0-4-0; Joseph 4-1-16-0; Cornwall 4-0-15-0.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2021