Charlie Austin
|
1st Test: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Galle, 13-17 Nov 2001 Charlie Austin |
|
|
West Indies 2nd innings:
Sri Lanka 2nd innings: |
At the first afternoon drinks break the West Indies were 131 for six, now only 11 runs behind, but with only four wickets remaining.
Lara, who had hit two boundaries off the Sri Lankan spinners, was caught at mid-wicket in Thilan Samaraweera’s first over of the innings for 40.
The breakthrough ended a promising 38 run partnership for the West Indians.
Marlon Samuels was the other batsman to be dismissed after lunch, in the second over after the interval bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan. The 20-year-old Jamaican was hit on the toe by a full-pitched delivery and was adjudged lbw by umpire Peter Manuel.
Samuels had scored just two in his 26-minute stay. Sri Lanka were 93 for five.
After the fall of the wicket, Jacobs and Lara steadied the innings, before Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya introduced Samaraweera.
Indeed, throughout the afternoon, Jayasuriya had chopped and changed his bowlers, never letting the batsmen become acclimitised.
West Indies, starting the day on 9-1, started well as Ramnaresh Sarwan and Daren Ganga added 67 runs, but then lost three wickets for 13 in the space of 22 minutes.
At lunch the tourists were 92 for four, still 50 behind Sri Lanka, their hopes resting on Brian Lara, who absurdly declared last night that he was going to score 150.
Having lost Ganga to the sweep, Jayasuriya recalled Muraliutharan and within two balls he had the Guyanan right-hander caught at silly point for 30.
Then, skipper Hooper drove loosely at left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratillake to be caught at short extra cover for six.
Chaminda Vaas came back for a little burst just before lunch and very nearly trapped Lara lbw. The left-hander just managed to get outside the line and was left 11 not out.
Marlon Samuels was two.
West Indies batsmen, Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan, had looked comfortable on the docile pitch, adding 67 runs for the second wicket.
However, Niroshan Badandaratillake, bowling his third spell of the day having replaced Muttiah Muralitharan, induced a lofted sweep from Ganga that was well-caught by Hashan Tillakaratne at square leg.
Ganga was out for 33 from 96 balls having hit three fours in the morning.
Sarwan was not out 30 having survived a fascinating duel with Muralitharan. The master off-spinner went wicketless, however, despite a couple of close lbw shouts (8-4-12-0).
Play started early and in the 50 minutes played before the water break the West Indies, nine for one overnight, added 26 runs to leave them on 35 for one, still 107 runs behind.
They did, however, have the odd moment of alarm.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, who started the day with an elegant cover drive, was fortunate to survive a lbw shout in left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratillake’s first over of the day. On nine at the time, an arm ball skidded onto to his back foot. The umpire John Hampshire had doubt as to whether the ball hit pad or bat first. Television replays showed that pad had been hit first.
Sarwan then top edged a pull off Chaminda Vaas, which landed 10 metres short of the fielders converging from deep backward square and long leg.
Sri Lanka introduced key spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in the 11th over of the day.
At drinks, Sarwan was 16 not out with Daren Ganga on 13.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 17 Nov2001 - 18:41