GALLE, Sri Lanka, CMC – Torrential rains wrecked the third day of the opening Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies, allowing just 30.5 overs and ruining the makings of an intriguing contest here yesterday.
Following an absorbing first session, bad light and subsequent heavy showers drove players from the field after just 25 balls in the post-lunch session, leaving the pitch and the outfield at Galle International Stadium under heavy covers.
After a delay of 2-1/2 hours, umpires Steve Davis and Richard Kettleborough called play off at 3:30 pm (6 pm Eastern Caribbean time), with no play possible in gloomy conditions at the south-western venue.
When the rains arrived, Sri Lanka had reached 165 for no further loss of wickets after resuming from the lunch break at 148 for three, in reply to West Indies’ mammoth first innings of 580 for nine declared
In the 20 minutes play possible after the break, stylish stroke-maker Mahela Jayawardene raised his 37th Test half-century, to be unbeaten on 51 after resuming at 35.
He was partnered by Thilan Samaraweera who added a single run to his interval score of 10.
Earlier, Sri Lanka rattled off 94 runs from 26.4 overs in the morning session, thanks largely to captain Kumar Sangakkara’s entertaining 73, in a 71-run third wicket stand with Jayawardene.
West Indies, however, produced a sterling effort to snatch two wickets at crucial stages, prising out opener Tharanga Paranavitana for 10 in the day’s third over before claiming Sangakkara’s prized scalp 15 minutes before lunch.
The visitors made a bright start after Sri Lanka resumed at 54 for one, grabbing the wicket of Paranavitana before he could add to his overnight score.
Pacer Kemar Roach, bowling a sharp spell, accounted for the left-hander in his first over of the day and the third of the morning, moving one back to knock the off-stump out of the ground with Sri Lanka on 61 for two.
As he did the previous evening, Sangakkara counter-attacked with two boundaries off rookie speedster Andre Russell’s next over, the first a sweetly-timed drive through cover and the second a streaky shot through gully.
Jayawardene, who has so far faced 91 balls and hit five fours, started slowly before clipping a loose ball from Russell wide of mid on for his first boundary, and then steering medium pacer Dwayne Bravo behind point for another.
However, the experienced right-hander was tested by off-spinner Shane Shillingford, surviving several lbw shouts and also misjudging a couple that turned sharply and left him cramped for room on the back foot.
He grabbed every opportunity to attack, however, and twice lifted Shillingford into the deep for boundaries as Sri Lanka raised the tempo.
Bravo, who had succeeded in tying Sangakkara down with a steady off-stump line, was finally rewarded for his discipline when he breached the skipper’s defense and bowled him with a yorker at 132 for three, after the left-hander had belted 11 flashy boundaries off 102 balls.