GALLE, Sri Lanka, CMC – West Indies suffered another massive defeat to Sri Lanka, losing by 164 runs in the second and final Test match at Galle International Stadium here yesterday, to give the hosts a clean sweep of the series.
Chasing 297 for victory, West Indies were dismissed for 132 in 56 overs.
Sri Lanka, resuming on 328 for 8, with Man-of-the-Match Dhananjaya de Silva on 153 and Lasith Embuldeniya on 25, soon declared on 345 for 9.
As they were in the first match, the Sri Lankan spinners were the undoing of the West Indies’ batsmen, with Ramesh Mendis and Embuldeniya picking up five wickets each. Their combined effort saw West Indies losing their last eight wickets in the space of 13 overs.
Mendis struck early in the day to remove captain Kraigg Brathwaite for six with the score on 15. He went on to claim three wickets in a single over in the post-lunch session – Shai Hope who made 16, and Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers who were dismissed for ducks.
The right-handed bowler completed his second five-wicket haul of the match when Veerasammy Permaul, who put just one run on the board, was dismissed lbw.
Meantime, Embuldeniya took five at the other end. His first was Jermaine Blackwood (36), who was caught by de Silva after mounting a 23-over, 50-run partnership with Nkrumah Bonner (44).
Bonner, who top scored for the West Indies, later lost his off stump at the hands of Embuldeniya.
Embuldeniya caught Jason Holder (3) at slip, much in the same way he had Blackwood out before he took the wicket of Kemar Roach lbw. Roach had gone for a sweep but missed as the ball struck his front pad after turning away, and was sent back for 13 with the score on 128 for 8.
A few ballas after Mendis took Permaul’s wicket, Jomel Warrican was caught at first slip by de Silva, off a ball from Embuldeniya, to end the game.
Sri Lanka won the first Test by 187 runs and their whitewash of West Indies gives them all 12 of the World Test Championship points that were on offer for this series.