Windies avoid follow-on but rain forces early end to 3rd day's play

THE WEST Indies managed to avoid the follow-on but rain forced an early end to the third day of the first Test match against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium, Galle on Tuesday.

Resuming from a precarious position of 113 runs for six wickets, in response to Sri Lanka's first innings score of 386, the West Indies reached 224/9 before a downpour, which came shortly after five overs in the second session, brought a halt to proceedings.

The West Indies' overnight batsmen of Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder carefully handled the Sri Lankan spinners before Mayers, on 45, was unable to deal with a delivery from off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva that bounced, and he spooned a catch to Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne at cover, with the score on 163.

Twelve runs later, Holder (36) fell in similar fashion, as Dushmantha Chameera dived to his right at point to hold on to a catch o left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva and Rahkeem Cornwall carried the WI past the follow-on score of 186 and, at lunch, the scoreboard read 215/8.

Cornwall (39) top-edged a pull shot from pacer Suranga Lakmal to Ramesh Mendis at square-leg before the umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Ruchira Palliyaguruge called on the groundsmen to bring in the covers, as the heavens opened up.

Da Silva was the not-out batsman on 11.

Scores:

SRI LANKA 386 - Dimuth Karunaratne 147, Dhananjaya de Silva 61, Pathum Nissanka 56, Dinesh Chandimal 45; Roston Chase 5-83, Jomel Warrican 3-87, Shannon Gabriel 2-69 vs WEST INDIES 224-9 - Kyle Mayers 45, Kraigg Brathwaite 41, Rahkeem Cornwall 39, Jason Holder 36, Jermaine Blackwood 20; Praveen Jayawickrama 3-38, Ramesh Mendis 3-75.