By Anthony Layne
Sri Lanka, led by a resolute century by skipper Mahela Jayawardene, maintained their grip over the first test of the Digicel Home Series against the West Indies at the National Stadium, Providence.
At close of the second day’s play yesterday, the West Indies were 29-1, a whopping 447 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s formidable first innings total of 476-8 declared.
Resuming on 269-4 in slightly overcast conditions, with skipper Jayawardene on 25 and Tillakeratne Dilshan on 15, Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when in the fifth over pacer Jerome Taylor trapped Dilshan leg before wicket as he attempted to work a wicket-to-wicket delivery through the on-side.
But the Windies dashed their own hopes of further, immediate success through shockingly sloppy fielding that even their fiercest detractors might not have expected to see from them at this level.
First, Sulieman Benn fielding at forward square, dropped Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene as the latter pulled a short delivery from Taylor; while not exactly an easy chance, it was one that should have been taken at this level of the game.
Jayawardene went on to build a valuable partnership of 54 with his brother and skipper, Mahela.
The latter in the meantime had reached his fifty with six fours, off 120 balls and in 128 minutes, and continued to delight the small but appreciative crowd with strokes on either side of the wicket.
Meanwhile, Prasanna eventually departed for 21, with the total on 331, losing his off stump to a Daren Powell delivery that cut sharply back into him.
Chaminda Vaas – no slouch with the bat – joined his skipper and when on four was put down by Devon Smith at third slip.
Taking full advantage of the generosity, Vaas lent valuable support to his skipper who was by now in sight of a well-deserved century.
The classy, diminutive player eventually reached the milestone with a single, aided by 10 fours, off 189 balls and in 304 minutes. It was his first test hundred against the Caribbean side and his 31st overall.
At tea, the score was 418-6, with Jayawardene 119 and Vaas 28.
On the resumption, the pair would post the 50 partnership off 89 balls; and this stand would later burgeon into a century partnership, off 183 balls.
Jayawardene would enjoy another offering of the West Indies’ largesse when Dwayne Bravo put him down at short fine leg.
He would finally depart for a well-played 136 adjudged leg before attempting the reverse sweep off his West Indian counterpart Chris Gayle.
The expected declaration finally came at 3:48 pm, leaving Vaas and Bandara Herath unbeaten on 54 and 13, respectively.
Taylor was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 4-110 from 33 overs, while Gayle supported with 2-66 and Bravo, 1-74. Taking to the crease in still overcast conditions, Gayle and Devon Smith were severely tested by the probing left-arm swing of Thilan Thushara and the vastly experienced Vaas.
Gayle would be the first to go, leg before to Vaas without scoring; his seventh dismissal by Vaas in tests.
Sarwan joined Smith and took the Windies safely to the close against the all-spin attack of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ranganna Herath.
Playing with some degree of authority, Sarwan was unbeaten on 21 and Smith on eight.
Today’s play will be most enthralling, as the West Indies batsmen seek to negotiate the wizardry of Muralitharan and the treacherous reverse swing of Vaas.
