NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Jason Holder shook off the disappointment of losing the captaincy to snatch his eighth Test five-wicket haul and surpass 200 first class wickets, as West Indies began the new Kraigg Brathwaite era by dominating Sri Lanka on the opening day of the first Test here yesterday.
Playing for the first time in 38 Tests without the burden of leadership, an inspired Holder scythed through the Sri Lanka innings to finish with five for 27 and send the visitors tumbling for an inadequate 169 in their first innings, 80 minutes before the close.
Veteran Kemar Roach also bowled superbly to pick up three for 47 and continue as the all-time highest wicket-taker at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium with 33 scalps from six matches.
Left-handed opener Lahiru Thirimanne produced a tenacious top score of 70 while wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella weighed in with 32 but both perished in the final session as Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 19 runs in a wretched 58-ball period.
Tasked with surviving the last hour of the day’s play, Brathwaite (three not out) and John Campbell (seven not out) endured few alarms as they guided West Indies safely to 13 without loss at the close.
“It’s good to get back out on the field for West Indies [in Tests]. Obviously it’s been a couple months {away],” said Holder, who missed last month’s two-Test series in Bangladesh.
“I’m just glad today was my day and I could contribute heavily towards the team’s cause and glad I could put the team in a pretty good position.”
Sent in, Sri Lanka made an uncertain start before losing their first wicket two overs before the drinks break when captain Dimuth Karunaratne (12), dropped on 11 by Jermaine Blackwood off Roach in the previous over, turned the fourth ball of off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall’s third over into John Campbell’s lap at short leg at 17 for one.
West Indies struck again in the third over following the drinks break, claiming new batsman Oshada Fernando for four via the run out.
The right-handed Fernando responded to Thirimanne’s call for a quick single but found himself short of his ground at the striker’s end as Brathwaite swooped from short cover with a direct hit, leaving the tourists in further trouble on 29 for two.
Thirimanne found an ally in the experienced Dinesh Chandimal (4) and were navigating a safe passage to lunch when the right-hander perished to the first ball of the final over before lunch, feathering a defensive prod through to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva to give Holder his first wicket.
On 54 for three at lunch, Sri Lanka twice attempted to build partnerships during the second session only for the persevering Roach to intervene on each occasion.
Dhananjaya de Silva, starting his innings after lunch, looked to be getting entrenched when he spent 45 minutes over 13 in adding 22 for the fourth wicket with Thirimanne.
However, he perished with the hour mark approaching, deceived and comprehensively bowled by an in-swinger from Roach after watching the two previous deliveries seam away.
Four overs later, Roach struck again, this time getting debutant right-hander Pathum Nissanka to edge to second slip where Holder took a sharp catch low to his left at 92 for five.
On the ropes, Sri Lanka were revived by Thirimanne and Dickwella, who combined for the best stand of the innings by adding 58 for the sixth wicket.
Thirimanne, resolute in defence but unable to really score freely with wickets falling at the other end, faced 180 deliveries in just short of five hours at the crease and punched four fours.
Dickwella, also left-handed, hit two fours off 76 balls in nearly an hour-and-a-half.
They guided Sri Lanka safely to tea on 129 for five with Thirimanne unbeaten on 56, having raised his seventh Test fifty about three-quarters of an hour before the interval.
The pair kept West Indies without further success for another 40 minutes after tea before the floodgates opened.
Dickwella threw his bat at a wide delivery from Holder and edged a chest-high catch to Cornwall at first slip and four overs later with just 10 runs added at 160 for six, Thirimanne’s resistance ended when he inside-edged a widish, full length delivery from Holder onto his stumps.
Holder claimed his fourth after Suranga Lakmal got a leading edge attempting to flick, and watched as Brathwaite completed an excellent catch running back at backward point at 163 for eight.
The end then came swiftly as Roach spectacularly removed Dushmantha Chameera’s off-stump for two and Holder gained a marginal lbw decision against number 10 Lasith Embuldeniya, to complete his five-wicket haul.
