Windies seamers claim 10 wickets despite mixed performance on opening day
Stumps, Day 1: West Indies 0 without loss trail Sri Lanka 308 all out (de Silva 120, Chandimal 54; Greaves 3-39) by 308 runs
Pacers err short as Da Silva spills three chances
The West Indies prised five wickets in the final session to dismiss Sri Lanka for 308 on Thursday’s opening day of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda. Justin Greaves was the pick of the Caribbean bowlers (3/39), with all three of his wickets coming post-lunch.
Opener John Campbell then faced Asitha Fernando’s lone over with Brandon King as a spectator at the other end, as the hosts ended the day without losing a wicket.
Among Greaves’ successes was the big scalp of captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who fell after constructing a brilliant 120. de Silva’s knock helped his team to their highest score on the first day of a Test against the West Indies.
The Sri Lankan top and middle-order countered each breakthrough with a crucial partnership, admittedly aided by the West Indian seamers’ struggles with lengths throughout the day.
The veteran Kemar Roach began proceedings by having Pathum Nissanka taken at short leg by Amir Jangoo with the final delivery of the first over of the contest for his 295th Test wicket.
With the score on 12, wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva was slow to react to a healthy edge from the cutting Nishan Madushka, who was undone by the extra bounce from Jayden Seales. Da Silva failed to hold on for what would be his first of three dropped catches.
The scoreboard read better for the West Indies following a double-wicket strike from Alzarri Joseph. Returning to the Test arena for the first time since last summer, Joseph (2/60) started short and wide and was slapped by Madushka over point for a maximum.
He, however, had his man trapped lbw two balls later and followed that up by kissing the edge of Kamindu Mendis’ bat the very next delivery to leave Sri Lanka 42 for three.
Still, the West Indies failed to sustain pressure for any measurable period, with the faster seamers often straying short. The first beneficiaries being de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal.
The pair shared in a 68-run fourth-wicket stand, 43 of which were added in the morning session as Sri Lanka got to lunch at 95 for three.
The inconsistency with the ball from the West Indies saw the visitors scoring in excess of four runs per over in each session, finishing the innings with a run rate of 4.28 as a result. Da Silva’s poor day behind the stumps did not help.
He put down a simple chance from Chandimal off Roach immediately upon resumption, allowing him to bring up a 63-ball fifty in the next over. It was Shamar Joseph (2/79) who broke the stand by bowling Chandimal for 54. He had two in the over when he had Kusal Mendis caught in the slips without scoring, at 110 for 5.
de Silva found another partner, this time in Sonal Dinusha, and the pair saw Sri Lanka through to Tea without further loss at 204 for 5. Roach (2/32) returned to set up Dinusha (43) lbw before Greaves delivered his triple strike, with Jayden Seales claiming the wicket of No. 11 Fernando, ensuring each seamer had a mark in the wickets column.