NORTH SOUND – West Indies suffered an early setback in their chase of 375 to win the first Test in Antigua, after Pathum Nissanka became the fourth Sri Lanka batsman to hit a hundred on debut.
Left-handed opener John Campbell was caught behind for 12 off Vishwa Fernando, and West Indies reached 34 for one at the close on the penultimate day of the match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
At the close, new full-time West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was not out on eight and Nkrumah Bonner was not out on 15.
Earlier, a day that started brightly turned gloomy for West Indies, when Nissanka gathered a resolute 103 and left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella was the perfect foil in a career-best 96 before the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 476 in their second innings about an hour after tea.
The comforts of home soil have not been kind to pacer Alzarri Joseph in this match, and Dhananjaya de Silva flicked the third ball of the day from him through square leg for four to reach 50.
But Joseph and the Windies celebrated when he bowled Dhananjaya with the final ball of the over to give them the early breakthrough they would have desired, after Sri Lanka resumed from their overnight total of 255 for four.
But it all went downhill for the home team from there, when Nissanka got together with left-hander Dickwella and put on 179 for the sixth wicket that trashed their plans and broke their spirits.
After Joseph’s early success, Nissanka and Dickwella carried Sri Lanka to 359 for five at lunch.
West Indies endured a fruitless toil after lunch, and they had only themselves to blame for their lack of success.
Jason Holder was left to grieve in the ninth over after lunch, when Dickwella, on 44, steered a short, rising delivery to gully and Nkrumah Bonner muffed the chance.
In the fourth over before tea, Joseph appealed unsuccessfully for Dickwella caught behind down the leg-side on 74.
The Antiguan paceman got no support from any other fielder, but TV replays suggested that had the Windies not wasted their reviews with meaningless appeals earlier in the day, there was a strong case to be adjudicated.
Nissanka held firm to reach his milestone from 240 balls, when he played forward and steered a delivery from part-time off-spinner Jermaine Blackwood past slip for two a little before tea.
After the break, West Indies started to find success with Sri Lanka chasing quick runs to hasten the declaration.
Pacer Kemar Roach ended with three for 74 from 27 overs and off-spinner Rahkeem ended with three for 137 from 43.5 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) and 476 (Pathum Nissanka 103, Niroshan Dickwella 96, Oshada Fernando 91, Lahiru Thirimanne 76, Dhananjaya de Silva 50, Lasith Embuldeniya 10; Kemar Roach 3-74, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-137, Kyle Mayers 2-24).
WEST INDIES 271 (Rahkeem Cornwall 61, Joshua da Silva 46, Kyle Mayers 45, John Campbell 42, Nkrumah Bonner 31, Jason Holder 19; Suranga Lakmal 25-9-47-5, Vishwa Fernando 2-52, Dushmantha Chameera 2-71) and 34 for one (Nkrumah Bonner 15 not out, John Campbell 12).
(AR)
