ZCZC
BSP-15
CRICKET-WIS-SRI, VICTORY
Sri Lanka closing in on victory over Windies
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, June 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Sri Lanka were 63 runs
away from a first ever Test victory over the West Indies at the Kensington
Oval on Monday following an action-packed third day of the final Test.
A stunning day’s play which saw 20 wickets fall in the day/night Test saw
Sri Lanka be set a target of 144 to level the series and become the first
Asian team ever to win at the venue.
At stumps however, Sri Lanka’s hopes of victory remained in the balance
with the tourists stumbling to 81 for five in their second innings.
Sri Lanka’s hopes of victory were dealt a further blow after an injury to
batsman Kusal Perera. Perera had to be taken from the field in an ambulance
after he crashed into an advertising board attempting to take a catch on the
long-on boundary which would have ended the West Indies second innings on 82.
As it was, they added just 11 more runs to be dismissed for 93, their
lowest-ever total in a Test innings at the ground.
Still, with a lead of 50 runs after the Sri Lankans folded swiftly in the
first session to be dismissed for 154 in reply to the hosts’ first innings
total of 204, the task was expected to be a challenging one on a pitch that
continues to be very helpful to faster bowlers.
So it has proved with Jason Holder leading the way with the ball yet again
in what is turning out to be personal tour de force for the West Indies
captain on his home ground.
He topscored in the West Indies first innings with 74 and polished of the
Sri Lankan tail in the first innings to finish with the excellent figures of
four for 18.
Sri Lanka will rely on Kusal Mendis (25 not out) to guide the tourists to
their target in partnership with off-spinning all-rounder Dilruwan Perera.
In a match where batsmen have struggled throughout, Niroshan Dickwella’s
topscore of 42 was the only effort of note in Sri Lanka’s first innings as
Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach combined for five wickets before Holder took
over to clean up the tail.
But he had very little time to reflect on his effort as the visitors hit
back hard in having the West Indies tottering at nine for three in their
second innings just before the day’s first interval. This was the first time
in 90 years of Test cricket that the West Indies lost their first three
wickets with less than ten runs on the board in both innings.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0946 hrs