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Sri Lanka’s top-order batting held firm to ensure a draw and a drawn series against the West Indies on the last day of the second and final Test.

Sri Lanka’s top-order batting held firm to ensure a draw and a drawn series against the West Indies on the last day of the second and final Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday. Set the daunting target of 377 and resuming at 29 without loss, the tourists reached 193 for two with a tops core of 75 by captain Dimuth Karunaratne and an unbeaten 66 by Oshada Fernando leading the resistance. After managing just 16 runs in three previous innings, Karunaratne’s 25th Test half-century spanned over four hours.

He faced 176 deliveries and struck nine fours before being trapped lbw by seam bowling all-rounder Kyle Mayers just before the end of the post-lunch period.

“I am really happy the way we played in this series, especially the bowlers and particularly Suranga (Lakmal),” said Karunaratne in paying tribute to the man of the series for his 11 wickets in the two matches.

“We need to improve on our batting though, especially in building partnerships. That’s a concern for me going forward.”

WI vs SL 2nd Test: Spirited batting display helps Sri Lanka draw the second Test, series ends 0-0

Karunaratne put on 101 for the first wicket with Lahiru Thirimanne who battled through to the afternoon period before he eventually fell for 39, edging a full delivery from fast bowler Alzarri Joseph for Rahkeem Cornwall at first slip.

Thirimanne ended the series with a tally of 240 runs, the most on either side and putting him three runs ahead of the leading West Indian, captain, and fellow opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite.

“None of our players ever gave up. Everyone tried really, really hard all the way through,” said Brathwaite reflecting on 10 days of Test cricket and especially the final day of the series when they struggled for any potency on a placid surface.

“We are heading in the right direction and once we keep that discipline and commitment we will be a team to reckon with.”

Brathwaite’s innings of 126 and 85 made him the obvious choice as man of the match.

While the home skipper exhausted every bowling option available to him, Fernando ensured there was to be no late stumble in the final session in partnership with former captain Dinesh Chandimal.

As well as he played though, in nearly three hours at the crease, Fernando again seemed vulnerable to the gentle swing bowling of Mayers.

Dismissed in his previous two innings by the Barbadian, he needed the benefit of television replay technology and a successful DRS referral to have a leg-before verdict against him off Mayers overturned.

Sri Lanka’s task was made easier by the absence of Shannon Gabriel for most of the afternoon.

West Indies’ fastest bowler left the field in his sixth over with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

That injury would have only worsened Gabriel’s mood after he saw wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva spill a leg-side catch offered by Thirimanne at the start of the day when the opener was just on 17.

Early-morning rain delayed the start of play by just over an hour, effectively ending any distant hope the Sri Lankans would have entertained of launching a run-chase

West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2ND Test Full Scorecard

SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS (TARGET: 377 RUNS)
BATSMEN R B M 4s 6s SR
Lahiru Thirimanne c Cornwall b Joseph 39 114 165 5 0 34.21
Dimuth Karunaratne (c) lbw b Mayers 75 176 244 9 0 42.61
Oshada Fernando not out 66 119 161 8 0 55.46
Dinesh Chandimal not out 10 66 82 1 0 15.15
Extras (lb 1, nb 1, w 1) 3
TOTAL (79 Ov, RR: 2.44) 193/2
Did not bat: Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Niroshan Dickwella †, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando
Fall of wickets: 1-101 (Lahiru Thirimanne, 38.3 ov), 2-146 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 55.5 ov)

 

BOWLING O M R W ECON WD NB
Kemar Roach 12 2 33 0 2.75 0 0
Jason Holder 10 3 24 0 2.40 0 1
Rahkeem Cornwall 26.4 8 53 0 1.99 0 0
Shannon Gabriel 5.2 2 20 0 3.75 0 0
Alzarri Joseph 10 2 33 1 3.30 1 0
Jermaine Blackwood 6 1 17 0 2.83 0 0
Kraigg Brathwaite 3 0 7 0 2.33 0 0
Kyle Mayers 6 4 5 1 0.83 0 0

 

WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS (280/4) Declared

BATSMEN R B M 4s 6s SR
Kraigg Brathwaite (c)  b Chameera 85 196 299 4 0 43.37
John Campbell c †Dickwella b Lakmal 10 25 39 1 0 40.00
Jermaine Blackwood c †Dickwella b Chameera 18 41 64 2 0 43.90
Kyle Mayers lbw b Lakmal 55 76 102 8 0 72.37
Jason Holder not out 71 88 136 7 0 80.68
Joshua Da Silva † not out 20 16 40 2 0 125.00
Extras (b 2, lb 12, nb 6, w 1) 21
TOTAL (72.4 Ov, RR: 3.85) 280/4d
Did not bat: Nkrumah Bonner, Alzarri Joseph, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (John Campbell, 6.4 ov), 2-58 (Jermaine Blackwood, 19.5 ov), 3-140 (Kyle Mayers, 43.6 ov), 4-227 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 65.5 ov)

 

BOWLING O M R W ECON WD NB
Suranga Lakmal 14 3 62 2 4.43 0 2
Vishwa Fernando 12.4 1 49 0 3.87 1 1
Dhananjaya de Silva 28 3 81 0 2.89 0 3
Dushmantha Chameera 18 0 74 2 4.11 0 0

SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS 250/8 (103.1 ov)

BATSMEN R B M 4s 6s SR
Dimuth Karunaratne (c) c Bonner b Joseph 1 17 41 0 0 5.88
Lahiru Thirimanne  b Roach 55 106 162 6 0 51.89
Oshada Fernando lbw b Mayers 18 71 96 1 0 25.35
Dinesh Chandimal c sub (HR Walsh) b Gabriel 44 101 173 6 0 43.56
Dhananjaya de Silva lbw b Blackwood 39 140 205 3 0 27.86
Pathum Nissanka not out 49 119 4 0 41.18
Niroshan Dickwella † c †Da Silva b Holder 21 25 42 2 0 84.00
Suranga Lakmal c Brathwaite b Joseph 6 9 13 1 0 66.67
Dushmantha Chameera c †Da Silva b Holder 2 26 33 0 0 7.69
Lasith Embuldeniya not out 0 11 0 0 0.00
Extras (b 4, lb 4, nb 6, w 1) 15
TOTAL (103.1 Ov, RR: 2.42) 250/8
Yet to bat: Vishwa Fernando
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 8.1 ov), 2-64 (Oshada Fernando, 29.4 ov), 3-77 (Lahiru Thirimanne, 35.3 ov), 4-152 (Dinesh Chandimal, 65.5 ov), 5-177 (Dhananjaya de Silva, 79.1 ov), 6-203 (Niroshan Dickwella, 87.4 ov), 7-214 (Suranga Lakmal, 90.2 ov), 8-231 (Dushmantha Chameera, 97.5 ov)

 

BOWLING O M R W ECON WD NB
Kemar Roach 16 4 54 1 3.38 0 4
Shannon Gabriel 14.1 3 33 1 2.33 0 0
Alzarri Joseph 22 4 64 2 2.91 1 0
Jason Holder 21 3 40 2 1.90 0 2
Kyle Mayers 11 7 10 1 0.91 0 0
Rahkeem Cornwall 15 5 25 0 1.67 0 0
Jermaine Blackwood 4 0 16 1 4.00 0 0

West Indies 1st Innings: 354/10 (111.1 ov)

Batsmen R B 4S 6S SR
Kraigg Brathwaite (C) b PVD Chameera 126 311 13 0 40.51
John Campbell c N Dickwella b S Lakmal 5 24 1 0 20.83
Nkrumah Bonner b S Lakmal 0 6 0 0 0.00
Kyle Mayers c N Dickwella b MVT Fernando 49 61 8 0 80.33
Jermaine Blackwood c N Dickwella b S Lakmal 18 29 2 1 62.07
Jason Holder c L Thirimanne b D de Silva 30 34 5 0 88.24
Joshua Da Silva (WK) c N Dickwella b PVD Chameera 1 35 0 0 2.86
Alzarri Joseph lbw b L Embuldeniya 29 41 3 1 70.73
Rahkeem Cornwall c MVT Fernando b S Lakmal 73 92 10 1 79.35
Kemar Roach c N Dickwella b PVD Chameera 9 36 1 0 25.00
Shannon Gabriel Not out 1 5 0 0 20.00
Extra 13 (b 0, w 0, nb 7, lb 6)
Total 354/10 (111.1)

 

BOWLING O M R W ECON
Suranga Lakmal 28 11 94 4 3.36
Vishwa Fernando 27 4 71 1 2.63
Lasith Embuldeniya 25 5 88 1 3.52
Dushmantha Chameera 21.1 4 69 3 3.26
Dhananjaya de Silva 10 3 26 1 2.60

 

Fall Of Wickets FOW Over
John Campbell 1-11 6.6
Nkrumah Bonner 2-15 8.6
Kyle Mayers 3-86 27.3
Jermaine Blackwood 4-120 37.2
Jason Holder 5-171 48.1
J Da Silva 6-185 57.3
Alzarri Joseph 7-222 68.1
Rahkeem Cornwall 8-325 99.1
Kemar Roach 9-351 109.5
Kraigg Brathwaite 10-354 111.1

 

MATCH DETAILS
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
Toss Sri Lanka, elected to field first
Series Sri Lanka tour of West IndiesICC World Test Championship
Season 2020/21
Player Of The Match
Kraigg Brathwaite

 

Player Of The Series
Suranga Lakmal

 

Series result 2-match series drawn 0-0
Match number Test no. 2417
Match days 29,30,31 March, 1, 2 April 2021 – day match (5-day match)

 

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