Fifties from skipper Kraigg Braithwaite, Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder have ensured West Indies continued calling the shots in this second Test match in Antigua. The hosts declared on a score of 280/4 before the Sri Lankan openers saw off the last nine overs in the day without any fuss. The visitors are 22/0 and further need 348 runs from 98 overs on the fifth day.
It was a day where West Indies continued their ascendency in this second and final Test match in Antigua against Sri Lanka. They put up a strong batting performance to pile on a big lead before declaring and setting a steep fourth-inning target for Sri Lanka.
The day started with Sri Lanka on 250/8 and Pathum Nissanka unbeaten on 49. The young 22-year-old batsman completed his half-century on the fourth ball of the day, but the visitors couldn’t last long. Kemar Roach, who was hit for a boundary in his first over of the day, took the last two wickets of his second one. He bounced Nissanka out before having No. 11 Vishwa Fernando caught-behind a couple of balls later. The Sri Lankan innings wrapped up for 258, giving West Indies a handy lead of 96.
With the bat, West Indies had a sedate start, and they lost John Campbell early as Suranga Lakmal had him caught behind for the second time in the game. Jermaine Blackwood was pushed up the order to No. 3 as the hosts searched for some quick runs. He scratched his way to 18 off 41 balls before a short ball dismissed him from Dushmantha Chameera.
Going into the lunch interval at 69/2 in 24 overs, West Indies were placed decently, and the promotion of Kyle Mayers worked beautifully. While skipper Kraigg Braithwaite remained stoic at the other end, Mayers played his shots and kept the scoreboard ticking at a decent rate.
Mayers did survive a few close calls at the start of the post-lunch session, but he continued on his merry way and found the boundary regularly. He stroked his way to a 63-ball half-century before Lakmal who has been Sri Lanka’s best bowler in this series pinned him LBW for 55.
His dismissal brought Jason Holder to bat and the former West Indies captain continued the momentum that Mayers built. He started off strongly as Braithwaite brought up his second fifty-plus score of the Test match. He was keen on rotating the strike as Holder was going great guns. Holder raced away to 18 off 21 balls before Tea was taken.
Holder started slightly slow in the last session of the day, but Braithwaite accelerated a touch and perished for 85. Holder then upped the ante to take the lead past 350, but surprisingly West Indies batted on. In the process, the premier West Indies all-rounder notched up his 10th half-century. In the 73rd over of the innings, Braithwaite called time on the innings and declared with a lead of 376, giving his bowlers a little over a day to give them a series win.
Sri Lanka’s first objective would’ve been to go unscathed to stumps, and the openers managed to do that. Kemar Roach was inconsistent with his line and length in the four overs that he bowled with the new ball, but Jason Holder created pressure while Rahkeem Cornwall found some sharp turn and bounce.
A stiff task awaits Sri Lanka on day five, but West Indies did it in the first Test, and now, it’s Sri Lanka’s turn. West Indies will be hoping they can take the ten wickets and record their first Test series win over Sri Lanka since 2003.
Stumps Day 4 Sri Lanka 29/0 (Thirimanne 17, Karunaratne 11) and 258 (Thirimanne 55, Nissanka 51, Chandimal 44, Roach 3/58, Holder 2/39, Joseph 2/64) trail West Indies 280/4 (Brathwaite 85, Holder 71*, Mayers 55, Lakmal 2/62, Chameera 2/74) and 354 (Brathwaite 126, Cornwall 73, Lakmal 4/94) by 347 runs.
