COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – Carlos Brathwaite belted a cameo half-century and seamer Kemar Roach picked up two early wickets but West Indies were made to toil against the Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI on the second day of their three-day tour match here yesterday.
Resuming from their overnight 127 for six, West Indies were dismissed for 209 with the right-handed Brathwaite slamming 54 off 46 balls, batting at number 10.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach celebrates after taking one of this two wickets on yesterday’s second day. (Photo courtesy WICB Media)
Off-spinner Ruraj Randiv finished with five for 73 while seamer Sunranga Lakmal picked up three for 26.
In a torrid six-over period before lunch, right-armer Roach (2-25) then rocked the hosts with wickets off the first two balls of the innings without a run on the board before opener Udara Jayasundera and Minod Bhanuka stroked hundreds to guide their side to 233 for three at the close at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Jayasundera, a 24-year-old left-hander, was unbeaten on 124 while Bhanuka, a 20-year-old wicketkeeper with just two first class games to his name, hit 101.
West Indies were definitely on top when Roach claimed Kusal Mendis off the first ball of the innings, caught at point by Jermaine Blackwood.
Off the very next delivery, Roach found the edge of captain Lahiru Thirimanne’s bat and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin took a straightforward offering, as the Sri Lankans slumped to 22 for two at lunch.
Any hopes, however, of rolling over the President’s XI were quickly squashed as Jayasundera and Bhanuka batted with aplomb in a 214-run, third wicket stand.
Jayasundera faced 177 balls and counted 17 fours and two sixes while Bhanuka carved out 15 fours and a six off 160 deliveries.
Their enterprise pushed the President’s XI to 149 for two at tea abd they appeared set to carry to the close when Bhanuka perished 25 minutes before the end at the hands of seamer and captain Jason Holder.
Earlier, West Indies lost Shai Hope in the day’s fifth over after the right-hander added just two to his overnight 24, with the score on 136.
An over later without a run added, Holder fell to the first ball he faced but Brathwaite arrived to rescue the innings.
He blasted four fours and four sixes in putting on 30 with Ramdin (20) for the ninth wicket before dominating a last wicket stand of 43 with Roach (11 not out), before he was last out.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES 1st innings
(overnight 127 for six)
K Brathwaite lbw b Fernando 46
R Chandrika c Pathirana b Lakmal 18
DM Bravo c wkp Bhanuka b Randiv 21
M Samuels c wkp Bhanuka b Lakmal 0
J Blackwood c Lakmal b Randiv 3
S Hope Siriwardana b Randiv 26
S Dowrich c Jayasinghe b Randiv 3
+D Ramdin Mendis b Fernando 20
*J Holder c Jayasinghe b Randiv 0
C Brathwaite c Jayasundera b Lakmal 54
K Roach not out 11
Extras (b5, lb1, nb1) 7
TOTAL (all out, 65.3 overs) 209
Fall of wickets 1-23, 2-78, 3-79, 4-94, 5-96, 6-113, 7-136, 8-136, 9-166, 10-209.
Bowling: Lakmal 14.3-5-26-3 (nb1), Fernando 14-6-39-2, Rukmal 6-1-24-0, Pathirana 2-0-18-0, Randiv 23-5-73-5, Siriwardana 6-1-23-0.
SRI LANKA CRICKET PRESIDENT’S XI 1st Innings
K Mendis c Blackwood b Roach 0
U Jayasundera not out 124
L Thirimanne c wkp Ramdin b Roach 0
+M Bhanuka c Hope b Holder 101
M Siriwardana not out 3
Extras (b4, nb1) 5
TOTAL (3 wkts, 58.4 overs) 233
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-214.
To bat: S Randiv, N Kulasekara, S Lakmal, K Madushanka, S Nanayakkare, S Pathirana, L Rukmal, M Siriwardana, V Fernando, A Jayasinghe.
Position: President’s XI lead by 24 runs.
Toss: West Indies.
*15 players per side (11 batting, 11 fielding).
Umpires – D Gunawardene, R Kottahachchi.
