Sri Lanka fight back amid ball tampering controversy

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None of the West Indian batsmen replicated Dinesh Chandimal’s feat of reaching three figures, but most of them made valuable contributions as West Indies secured a crucial first innings lead, on a third day that was overshadowed by ball-tampering allegations and the five-run penalty imposed against the Sri Lankan side, which didn’t go down too well with the visitors.

Sri Lanka made crucial inroads to the latter part of the West Indian batting making sure the hosts didn’t get too far ahead in the match as they ended the day trailing West Indies only by 13 runs with 9 wickets remaining.

The start of play on day 3 in St. Lucia was delayed by almost two hours with the Sri Lankan players refusing to take the field in protest,  after the umpires decided to change the ball ahead of the day’s play due to concerns regarding the condition of the ball.

Read: Sri Lanka charged with ball-tampering in St. Lucia

When the players did eventually take the field at 10.50 am local time, they found that the umpires had awarded West Indies 5 penalty runs and changed the ball (the West Indies batsmen at the crease were to choose the replacement, which is the accepted practice under ICC Law 41.3). The players then walked off to the edge of the playing area where more discussions ensued. Play eventually began at 11.30am, but Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed they are contesting the charge.

Only 12.3 overs were possible in the opening session after the late start with Suranga Lakmal picking up Shai Hope for 19 and West Indies going in to lunch at 154/3. The post-lunch session saw West Indies lose a couple of wickets, but were driven forward by a useful stand of 78 runs for the fifth wicket between Roston Chase and the in-form Shane Dowrich, which came in quick time. Chase fell for 41 to the second new ball on the stroke of tea, though the hosts were only 12 runs runs behind with five wickets still in hand.

It was Lahiru Kumara who dismissed Chase with a not-so-threatening delivery. But Kumara was the work-horse for Sri Lanka once again as he continued to run in hard and consistently hit the 140+ mark troubling most of the West Indian batsmen.

Dowrich seemed to have continued from where he left off from the first Test. His innings had much more fluency and he reached his half century right after the tea break off just 91 balls. He eventually fell for 55 when Lakmal produced a gem of a delivery to have him caught behind, but he had made sure West Indies were in the lead by then.

Read Also: Sri Lanka Cricket releases statement on ball tampering charge

Sri Lanka made sure they didn’t let the West Indian tail wag this time around. They in-fact made sure West Indies managed only 59 runs for their last six wickets, restricting the lead to just 47 runs.

While the hostile and big made Kumara captured 4/86 for Sri Lanka, debutant Kasun Rajitha had an impressive spell  picking up 3/49 in an economical 22 overs which included six maidens. The experienced Suranga Lakmal played the supporting role for the two up and coming young fast bowlers as he kept things tight picking up 2/50 in 24 overs to help restrict West Indies to 300 all-out.

Kusal Perera who has had a quiet tour so far came out all guns blazing and struck a couple of boundaries off Kemar Roach’s first over in the second innings. He continued to throw the bat at almost everything as it was evident that Sri Lanka tried to wipe off the 47 run deficit as quickly as possible. He got a ripper of a delivery from Shannon Gabriel minutes away before stumps were drawn,  which found his outside edge as Sri Lanka close the day at 34/1, still trailing the West Indies by 13 runs.

Sri Lanka – 34/1 & 253 all out 

West Indies – 300 all out (100.3 overs) Devon Smith 61, Shai Hope 55, Roston Chase 41, Lahiru Kumara 4/86 , Suranga Lakmal 2/50, Kasun Rajitha 3/49









Title





Full Scorecard

Sri Lanka

253/10 & 342/10

(91.4 overs)

Result

West Indies

300/10 & 147/5

(60.3 overs)

Match Drawn

Sri Lanka’s 1st Innings

Batting R B
Kusal Perera c J.Holder b K.Roach 32 55
Mahela Udawatte c J.Holder b S.Gabriel 0 2
Dananjaya De Silva b S.Gabriel 12 14
Kusal Mendis c S.Dowrich b J.Holder 45 83
Dinesh Chandimal not out 119 186
Roshen Silva c J.Holder b S.Gabriel 6 23
Niroshan Dickwella c S.Hope b S.Gabriel 16 55
Akila Dananjaya c S.Dowrich b K.Roach 2 10
Suranga Lakmal lbw by S.Gabriel 10 9
Kasun Rajitha c S.Dowrich b K.Roach 4 33
Lahiru Kumara c S.Hope b K.Roach 0 6
Extras
7 (b 1, lb 2, nb 2, w 2)
Total
253/10 (79 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-0 (M Udawatte, 1.2 ov), 2-15 (D de Silva, 5.4 ov), 3-59 (KJ Perera, 18.1 ov), 4-126 (K Mendis, 34.1 ov), 5-148 (R Silva, 43.1 ov), 6-179 (N Dickwella, 59.4 ov), 7-190 (A Dananjaya, 62.6 ov), 8-206 (S Lakmal, 65.4 ov), 9-237 (K Rajitha, 76.4 ov), 10-253 (L Kumara, 78.6 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Kemar Roach 18 8 49 4 2.72
Shanon Gabriel 16 4 59 5 3.69
Miguel Cummins 19 5 69 0 3.63
Jason Holder 14 2 56 1 4.00
Devendra Bishoo 11 3 15 0 1.36
Roston Chase 1 0 2 0 2.00

West Indies’s 1st Innings

Batting R B
Kraig Brathwaite c N.Dickwella b K.Rajitha 22 79
Devon Smith lbw by A.Dananjaya 61 176
Keiran Powell c K.Mendis b L.Kumara 27 45
Shai Hope c D.De.Silva b S.Lakmal 19 41
Roston Chase c S.Lakmal b L.Kumara 41 68
Shane Dowrich c N.Dickwella b S.Lakmal 55 98
Jason Holder c N.Dickwella b K.Rajitha 15 35
Devendra Bishoo c K.Mendis b K.Rajitha 2 13
Kemar Roach lbw by L.Kumara 13 21
Miguel Cummins not out 8 20
Shanon Gabriel c D.De.Silva b L.Kumara 3 8
Extras
34 (b 11, lb 8, nb 1, w 9, pen 5)
Total
300/10 (100.3 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-59 (K Brathwaite, 24.4 ov), 2-115 (K Powell, 40.6 ov), 3-149 (S Hope, 54.3 ov), 4-163 (D Smith, 59.1 ov), 5-241 (R Chase, 80.4 ov), 6-254 (S Dowrich, 86.3 ov), 7-261 (D Bishoo, 89.6 ov), 8-279 (J Holder, 93.3 ov), 9-292 (K Roach, 98.4 ov), 10-300 (S Gabriel, 100.3 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Suranga Lakmal 24 6 50 2 2.08
Akila Dananjaya 25 7 81 1 3.24
Kasun Rajitha 22 6 49 3 2.23
Lahiru Kumara 26.3 4 86 4 3.27
Dananjaya De Silva 3 0 10 0 3.33

Sri Lanka’s 2nd Innings

Batting R B
Kusal Perera c S.Dowrich b S.Gabriel 20 23
Mahela Udawatta c D.Bishoo b K.Roach 19 46
Kasun Rajitha lbw by S.Gabriel 0 6
Dananjaya De Silva c D.Smith b S.Gabriel 3 15
Kusal Mendis b S.Gabriel 87 117
Dinesh Chadimal c S.Dowrich b K.Roach 39 112
Roshen Silva c S.Dowrich b S.Gabriel 48 115
Niroshen Dickwella c K.Powell b S.Gabriel 62 70
Akila Dananjaya b S.Gabriel 23 30
Suranga Lakmal lbw by S.Gabriel 7 22
Lahiru Kumara not out 0 5
Extras
34 (b 12, lb 8, nb 11, w 3)
Total
342/10 (91.4 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-32 (KJ Perera, 7.4 ov), 2-34 (K Rajitha, 9.4 ov), 3-44 (D de Silva, 13.6 ov), 4-48 (M Udawatte, 16.2 ov), 5-165 (D Chandimal, 47.4 ov), 6-199 (K Mendis, 57.2 ov), 7-298 (R Silva, 81.1 ov), 8-307 (N Dickwella, 83.1 ov),9-334 (S.Lakmal, 89.5), 10-342 (A.Dananjaya, 91.4)
Bowling O M R W E
Kemar Roach 21 3 78 2 3.71
Shanon Gabriel 20.4 6 62 8 3.04
Jason Holder 15 5 38 0 2.53
Miguel Cummins 13 1 44 0 3.38
Devendra Bishoo 11 0 58 0 5.27
Roston Chase 10 1 38 0 3.80
Kraig Brathwaite 1 0 4 0 4.00

West Indies’s 2nd Innings

Batting R B
Kraig Brathwaite not out 59 172
Devon Smith c D.De.Silva b K.Rajitha 1 5
Kieran Powell c M.Udawatta b K.Rajitha 2 2
Shai Hope b S.Lakmal 39 115
Roston Chase b S.Lakmal 13 37
Shane Dowrich c D.De.Silva b A.Dananjaya 8 12
Jason Holder not out 15 20
Extras
10 (b 10)
Total
147/5 (60.3 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-6 (D Smith, 3.2 ov), 2-8 (K Powell, 3.4 ov), 3-55 (R Chase, 22.6 ov), 4-64 (S Dowrich, 27.2 ov), 5-117 (S Hope, 54.3 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Suranga Lakmal 17.3 3 48 2 2.77
Kasun Rajitha 13 3 23 2 1.77
Lahiru Kumara 10 3 28 0 2.80
Akila Dananjaya 19 7 33 1 1.74
Dananjaya De Silva 1 0 5 0 5.00