Shared News • Last updated on Mon, 25 Jun, 2018, 06:46 AM
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Kumara picked up four wickets as Windies folded for 204. © AFP
Shane Dowrich (71) and Jason Holder (74) led the Windies recovery but Sri Lanka came hard in the opening session of the second day of the third Test in Barbados on Sunday (June 24). Dowrich and Holder gave Windies a promising start to the day – stretching their stand to 115 – before the visitors picked up the remaining five wickets to nose ahead in the contest. Windies were eventually shot down for 204 before the Sri Lanka openers went into Tea unhurt.
Slight drizzle delayed the start of proceedings on the second day but bright blue skies welcomed the teams for the crucial session. With the old pink ball not offering much movement, Sri Lanka had to bank on the bounce on offer and the two-paced nature of the track. They kept probing but both Dowrich and Holder rode their luck to survive the first hour.
Holder, particularly, lived a charmed life as edges either went away from the fielders or fell short during his 123-ball stay. Starting on 132 for 5, Windies needed the set duo to carry on and bail the team out of trouble. They did just that with Holder scoring more freely after starting from his overnight score of 33. He registered his seventh Test half-century to take the team forward while Dowrich held one end up.
The ‘keeper-batsman fell first, when he was trapped plumb in front by Lahiru Kumara in the 56th over. Windies had 168 on the board then but lost two more quick wickets – of Devendra Bishoo and Holder – to slip to 189 for 8. Kemar Roach and Miguel Cummins pushed the total past 200 to frustrate the visitors even more before they were shot down for a modest score.
Sri Lanka now have two tough sessions ahead of them. First they have to survive the new ball before the dinner break and then make sure they don’t lose the plot under lights.
Brief scores: Windies 204 (Jason Holder 74, Shane Dowrich 71; Lahiru Kumara 4-58) vs Sri Lanka 0/0.
