Sports
Jelani Beckles
WEST Indies are on the brink of defeat in the first Test match against Sri Lanka after day four at the Galle International Stadium in Sri Lanka, on Wednesday.
West Indies closed on 52/6 in their second innings chasing an improbable 348 for victory. A 34-run unbroken partnership between Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva helped West Indies avoid defeat inside four days.
West Indies were 18/6 at one stage as all the batsmen dismissed failed to reach double figures.
Spinner Ramesh Mendis tore the West Indies batting apart with 4/17 in 11 overs.
West Indies were all out for 230 in the first innings after resuming day four on 224/9. It gave Sri Lanka a massive lead of 156 runs on first innings.
In their second innings, Sri Lanka kept the scoreboard ticking getting to 191/4 in 40.5 overs before declaring and setting West Indies a challenging target.
Dimuth Karunaratne, who struck 147 in the first innings, hit 83 off 104 balls which included nine fours. Angelo Matthews belted six fours and two sixes in his knock of 69 not out off 84 deliveries.
West Indies spinners Jomel Warrican (2/42) and Rahkeem Cornwall (2/60) grabbed two wickets apiece.
SUMMARISED SCORES
SRI LANKA 386 (Dimuth Karunaratne 147, Dhananjaya de Silva 61, Pathum Nissanka 56; Roston Chase 5/83, Jomel Warrican 3/87, Shannon Gabriel 2/69) and 191/4 dec (D Karunaratne 83, Angelo Matthews 69 not out; Rahkeem Cornwall 2/60, J Warrican 2/42) vs WEST INDIES 230 (Kyle Mayers 45, Kraigg Brathwaite 41; Praveen Jayawickrama 4/40, Ramesh Mendis 3/75) and 52/6 (Target 348) (Nkrumah Bonner 18 not out; R Mendis 4/17, Lasith Embuldeniya 2/18)
