NORTH SOUND, Antigua, GMC – Rain managed to wreck the final two sessions on the third day of this second Test yesterday, allowing only 1-¾ hours of play and a West Indies push stand for victory in the decisive affair at Stadium Vivian Richards Cricket.
The home team were in contention for the kill when they reduced Sri Lanka to 250 for eight in their first innings in the last session which kicked off at 4:15 pm (Eastern Caribbean time) following a prolonged rainstorm.
However, severe weather swept across the earth again at 5:07 pm, stopping play for the fourth and final time, and bringing any hopes of the West Indies to entertain them by claiming the last two Sri Lankan wickets before the last day but one today.
Sri Lanka are still chasing 104 runs, leaving the West Indies with the clear advantage but were pushed up close by the small Pathum Nissanka who have so far stitched 49 unbeaten 49 on 119 deliveries with four fours.
He needed to be beaten after several of his peers started on a flat track but failed to turn into anything major.
Veteran Dinesh Chandimal, at 34 overnight, was dismissed for 44 while Dhananjaya de Silva, initially 23, made 39.
West Indies bowlers, as they did on the second day of Tuesday, remained disciplined and subdued, sailors Jason Holder (2-40) and Alzarri Joseph (2-64) leading the attack over the Caribbean side with two wickets apologizes.
Starting from their 136 overs for three, Sri Lanka lost both batters overnight in the session after the pair extended their fourth wicket stand to 75.
Chandimal started off shaky and was put down by Cornwall’s Rahkeem plummeting to his right on the first slip off accelerator Shannon Gabriel, off the sixth inning of the morning.
However, Chandimal never settled and eventually died in the fifth over, failing to keep a pull off Gabriel and choosing substitute Hayden Walsh strategically placed on a deep square for the shot.
He faced 101 balls in just under three hours in the crease and struck a half-dozen four.
Dhanajaya combined with Nissanka to counter the West Indies, taking Sri Lanka to the no-loss drinks break in a 25 run stand for the fifth wicket.
Another stroke of genius by captain Kraigg Brathwaite accounted for Dhanajaya, 25 minutes before the scheduled lunch break, when part-time spinner Jermaine Blackwood summoned the right wing ahead of him with a first-ball spell.
When rain forced lunch 10 minutes early, the momentum with the West Indies especially with Sri Lanka tripping at 189 for five, but the weather delayed the restart until 1:20 pm, taking valuable time out of ‘ r contest.
Only 55 balls were possible during the second session but it was enough time for West Indies to beat plucky wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella for 20 and Suranga Lakmal for six.
The left-handed Dickwella fell unbeaten at lunchtime at nine, half an hour following the restart when he played back for Holder and got an inside edge through to wicket keeper Joshua Da Silva at 203 for six.
Referee Joel Wilson rejected the initial appeal and West Indies was forced to turn to DRS to overturn the decision not to.
Sixteen balls later with 11 runs added, Joseph pulled Lakmal, the right wing clipping a simple catch to Brathwaite briefly in the middle but only seven more balls were possible before rain forced early tea at 217 for seven, with Nissanka unbeaten 23.
After another frustrating time off the field due to the weather, Holder hit the rebound when Dushmantha Chameera was caught at the wicket for two, the right wing surviving a torrid time in the crease before ticking an insecure defensive back behind.
No. 10 Lasith Embuldeniya survived 11 scoreless balls to keep Nissanka company, just long enough for the rains to return.
