Skipper Jason Holder and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich both scored half-centuries, as the Windies were bowled out for 204 on the stroke of supper on the second day of the third and final Sandals Day-night Test at the Kensington Oval, Barbados last evening.
The Windies resuming at one point on Saturday night was reduced to 53 for five and resumed on the second day yesterday on 132 for five. Dowrich and Holder got together with the score at 53 for five and batted well on the opening night.
The diminutive Dowrich was able to negate the lateral movement of the ball from the Sri Lankan bowlers effectively and was able to grow in confidence. Holder joined him and took the attack to the visitors which helped ease the pressure off Dowrich.
The two very good friends were able to bat together effectively to take Windies to 132 for five when play was called at 10.20 pm on Saturday night due to rain.
When they resumed yesterday, the pair displayed ‘proper’ cricket and runs were accumulated with ease. The lateral movement was not as pronounced as the evening before and the pair was able to beat the record for the highest 6th wicket partnership which they created in the first Test against the Sri Lankans at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.
They pushed past that mark of 90 and was able to add 115 runs. Dowrich shuffling across the crease as he had done to cater for the movement missed a fast straight ball from the impressive Lahiru Kumara and was trapped leg before.
He scored 71 after batting for 188 minutes in which time he had to negotiate 132 pink balls, striking nine fours. He fell four runs short of becoming the fifth Windies wicketkeeper to have scored 1000 or more runs in Tests.
After his dismissal Holder went on to his half-century and fell just before the end for a top score of 74. He batted for 184 minutes, faced 123 balls and sent 13 of them to the fence.
When the Windies finally folded for 204, Kumara was the pick of the bowlers with four for 58, Kasun Rajitha three for 68 and Suranga Lakmal two for 52.
Sri Lanka had 12 vicious deliveries to negotiate before the break from Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach and did not score any runs and also did not lose any wickets when the food van pulled up.
SCOREBOARD
Windies vs Sri Lanka
Windies innings
K Brathwaite c Gunakitila b Lakmal.......2
D Smith c de Silva b Lakmal.....................2
K Powell c Mendis b Lakmal.....................4
S Hope c Mendis b Rajitha.....................11
R Chase b Rajitha.....................................14
S Dowrich lbw Kumara...........................71
J Holder c K Perera b Rajitha.................74
D Bishoo c Mendis b Kumara...................0
K Roach not out........................................11
M Cummins c Mendis b D Perera............2
S Gabriel c Dickwella b Kumara...............2
Extras 4b, 6lb, 1w.....................................11
Total all out...............................204
Fall of wkts: 3, 8, 8, 24, 55, 168, 183, 189, 201, 204.
Bowling: S Lakmal 19-5-52-2, L Kumara 23.3-5-58-4, K Rajitha 17-1-68-3, D Perera 10-3-16-1.
Sri Lanka innings
K Perera not out..........................................0
M Udawatte not out...................................0
Extras.............................................................0
Total for 0 wkts..............................0
Fall of wkts:
Bowling: K Roach 1-1-0-0, S Gabriel 1-1-0-0.
