Sri Lanka’s total dominance over the last four days culminated in defeat for the West Indies on the fifth and final day of the first Digicel Home Series test at the National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
Starting the day on 96-1 and needing a further 341 runs for victory, the homesters were dismissed for 315 with 6.4 overs of the mandatory 15 overs to be bowled in the final hour remaining , giving Sri Lanka victory by 121 runs.
They are now one up in the two-test series.
The win is historic for the Asian team, since it is the first for a Sri Lankan team against the West Indies at home.
The West Indies resumed yesterday at 96-1 with Bravo (46) and Sarwan (34).
Bravo reached his well-played half-century in the second over, as his defensive push at a Muttiah Muralitharan delivery found the edge, flew through the vacant slip position and went down to the boundary for four.
He reached the milestone with the aid of seven fours and one six and off 77deliveries.
The second milestone of the morning was the century partnership between the pair, which came in 138 minutes, as the two continued to play very watchfully against the all-spin attack of Muralitharan and Rangana Herath.
Bravo in particular showed none of the uncertainty that characterized his brief stay at the crease in the first innings. Meanwhile, the score had reached 150, followed shortly after by Sarwan’s 50, which included three fours. Bravo had by then entered the eighties, no doubt eyeing his second test century.
But when he was on 83, he advanced down the track to Murali, failed to get to the pitch of the delivery and Murali moving to his right, took a good return catch.
Marlon Samuels joined Sarwan with about 25 minutes to go before lunch, at which the score was 170-2. Sarwan was on 51 and Samuels on nine.
After lunch, Samuels added just one run to his score, going in very much the same manner he went in the first inning: caught at the wicket, swishing at a delivery outside the off-stump. Chanderpaul came, hung around for a while, and departed, bowled through the gate by a Chaminda Vaas off-cutter. He had made only three.
Skipper Chris Gayle then entered at the unaccustomed number six position. Meanwhile, the 200 was raised in 294 minutes, with Sarwan still looking very comfortable. But with his score at 72, he was adjudged lbw by umpire Billy Bowden; the television replays later revealed that the ball would have missed leg stump; the score was then 212-5, and the pendulum had definitely swung back in Sri Lanka’s favour. Ryan Hinds was next to go on the stroke of tea.
He was given out, caught behind for 10 off Murali; another decision that was contradicted by the television replay. The slide continued after the interval with Denesh Ramdin going, shortly after, caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene off Thilan Thushara for one; Sulieman Benn followed, lbw to Murali for seven.
Jerome Taylor joined his compatriot and skipper, Gayle, and played as sensibly as he did in the first innings. Meanwhile, the mandatory fifteen overs had begun at 3:55pm and Jayawardene took the second new ball in the third over. The move paid immediate dividends when Vaas served up a well directed short delivery on the off stump to Taylor; it was the type of delivery that even the more accomplished batsmen in the team would have had difficulty handling; Taylor went, caught Dilshan at second slip for 12; 291-9. Gayle, in the meantime, seemed intent to go down fighting. He brought up his 50 with a powerful, forcing shot off the backfoot through the offside for four and lifted left arm spinner Herath back overhead for six.
Just for the records, Gayle’s 50 came of 131 deliveries with six fours and one six. Daren Powell hung around for a while, but it was only a matter of time, particularly since Gayle seemed reluctant to expose himself to Vaas. The end eventually came when Powell attempted a lofted drive over extra cover, only to see Murali running backwards, take a miraculous catch, over his shoulder. It was a catch which typified the performance of the Sri Lankan team throughout the match.
Chaminda Vaas was named Man-of -the Match for his all-round performance, scoring 54 not out in Sri Lanka’s first inning and taking 3-48 in the West Indies first inning and 5-61 in the second.
