A century from Tillakartne Dilshan and a five-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Rangan Herath added to the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) President’s XI misery as the touring Sri Lankan cricketers continued their build-up ahead of Saturday’s first test against the West Indies.
Dilshan became the second Sri Lankan batsman to score a century at the National Stadium at Providence yesterday as the visitors declared their first innings on 492-5.
In reply, the President’s XI were dismissed for 248 despite stout resistance from West Indies Under-19 skipper Shamarh Brooks and opening batsman Jason Haynes both of whom scored half centuries.
Resuming from their overnight score of 343 for five, Sri Lanka continued to bat solidly and eventually declared 32 minutes before the lunch interval after batting for an hour and 28 minutes, facing 24.5 overs, and adding 149 runs without the loss of a wicket.
Dilshan, whose half century came from 72 balls with two fours and a six, eventually reached three figures off 105 balls in 129 minutes.
He belted seven fours and two sixes and was unbeaten on 101 when the declaration came.
He and Chamara Silva added 149 runs for the sixth wicket with Silva unbeaten on 51 off 72 balls with five boundaries at the declaration.
Keiron Powell and Jason Haynes started the President’s XI’s response reaching 25 without loss at lunch with Powell on 19 and Haynes on six.
The pair took their opening stand to 52 before Nuwan Kulasekara dismissed Powell caught at second slip by Kumar Sangakkara for 27.
Powell batted for 42 minutes, faced 33 balls and struck three fours.
Shemroy Barrington (05) skipper Patrick Browne (13) and Steven Jacobs (07) all fell cheaply as the President’s XI slipped to 95-4.
Barrington edged a delivery from Thilan Thushara to the wicket-keeper, Prasanna Jaywardene; Browne was bowled by Herath after a 25-run third wicket partnership with Haynes and Jacobs was caught by Muttiah Muralitharan at point also off Thushara.
But Brooks and Haynes combined to frustrate the Sri Lankan bowling juggernauth led by ace fast bowler Chaminda Vaas and the wily Muralitharan.
Haynes reached his 50 in 60 balls with eight fours and a six while Brooks struck 12 fours in his 84-ball, 106 minute innings.
The pair added 40 runs for the fifth wicket before Haynes was run out off the final ball before the tea interval.
Haynes’s patient innings of 61 came from 93 balls and he kept the Sri Lankans at bay for some two hours and 20 minutes.
After tea, Brooks catapulted the score past 150 when he smashed Muralitharan for three consecutive fours in the 40th over, but Krishna Deosarran and Rajendra Chandrika were knocked over in the space of one run before they had scored as the President’s XI flopped to 159 for seven.
But the classy Brooks found a useful ally in Christopher Barnwell and the pair added 47 precious runs for the eighth wicket, seeing the team’s total past the 200 mark in the process.
Brooks was eventually caught at the wicket for 68 while Davendra Bishoo failed to trouble the scorers as the President’s XI limped to 206 for nine.
Barnwell was the last man out stumped by Prasanna Jayawardene for 44 made from 67 balls in 85 minutes.
With five minutes left in the day’s play the teams decided not to come out but to start today’s final day five minutes early.
Herath ended with 5-67 while there was a wicket each for Muralitharan (1-48) and Kulasekara (1-29). (KB)
