Shared News • Last updated on Tue, 26 Jun, 2018, 06:33 AM
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Lakmal picked up three wickets to lead from the front.
It took Sri Lanka pacers just one session to completely turn the game on its head and help them surge ahead in the third Test in Barbados on Monday (June 25). Windies were left reeling after the session at 88 for 9, with an overall lead of just 138, after Sri Lanka posted 154 and handed the hosts a 50-run lead.
Sri Lanka started the day poorly and went from 99 for 5 to 154 all out. Niroshan Dickwella resisted but Jason Holder’s four-wicket haul helped the hosts pick up a crucial lead. From there on, it was a show put on by the Sri Lanka pacers. A lively pitch, pink ball under lights and a fragile batting line-up – they were presented with a deadly cocktail and ensured they exploited every possible chink. Windies batsmen looked clueless and the pitch started spitting fire as they failed to come up with proper application.
Things started going pear-shaped before the Tea break itself. Suranga Lakmal wasted no time in sending back the openers as they lost their top three inside the first five overs. The procession didn’t stop there as they soon slipped to 14 for 5 after the break. Shane Dowrich and Holder scored 26 for the sixth wicket before the latter was dismissed by Kasun Rajitha.
Once Dowrich was dismissed, there wasn’t much resistance from the lower order except from Kemar Roach, who made 20 off 28. The session came to a premature end as Kusal Perera crashed into the advertising hoardings near the boundary ropes while attempting to take a catch. An ambulance was rushed onto the field as he laid motionless on the field after the crash.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka started slowly but it was Niroshan Dickwella’s positive approach that got the runs flowing. However, with Roshen Silva struggling from the other end, there was too much pressure on the ‘keeper-batsman. Silva, unsurprisingly, fell first when he tried to drive away from the body and was caught behind for 11 after a 53-ball stay.
Sri Lanka were 118 for 6 and that’s when the Holder show began as the Windies captain picked up the last four wickets. Dickwella fell in the 54th over after a 72-ball 42 and the remaining two wickets could add just seven more to the total. Dilruwan Perera, who frustrated Windies with an unbeaten 48-ball 11, was given a reprieve by Holder. Perera was bowled by the pacer but replays confirmed the Windies captain had overstepped.
That, however, didn’t come back to haunt Windies as Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara failed to bat around Perera.
Brief scores: Windies 204 & 88/9 (Kasun Rajitha 3-20) lead Sri Lanka 154 (Niroshan Dickwell 42; Jason Holder 4-19) by 138 runs.
