2nd Test, Windies vs Sri Lanka, Gros Islet
Day 2, Stumps- Sri Lanka 253 [Chandimal 119*(186), K. Mendis 45(85) Gabriel 5/59, Roach 4/49] o
vs Windies 118/2 [D.S.Smith 53*(114), Powell 27(45), K. Rajitha 1/25 L.Kumara 1/48]
Devon Smith’s half century took the Windies to within 135 runs of Sri Lanka’s score on a rain-hit second day that saw only one full session of play before lunch and three rain breaks thereafter. It was Devon Smith’s seventh fifty in tests and his first fifty after his three-year hiatus from the Windies test team.
He had to work hard during his innings of 53* off 114, his outside edge was beaten quite a few times and two of his boundaries were edges through the slips. The opening partnering of Kraigg Brathwaite and Smith were not in a hurry in the first session. They got their first boundary with the bat in the 100th ball (16.4 overs) of the innings.
The pair of Lahiru Kumara and debutant Kasun Rajitha bowled well in the first session of play, restricting the Windies to 65/1 in 27 overs. Kumara surprised all the Windies batsmen with his pace and bounce, quite often reached the 145kph mark. His intensity was rewarded after the third rain break when Kieran Powell edged one to second slip where Kusal Mendis claimed a good low catch. A little over three overs later, the umpires signalled the end of the day.
The first breakthrough for Sri Lanka though was provided by Rajitha. The debutant was able to swing it both ways with the new ball, but both Brathwaite and Smith were circumspect with their batting early in the innings, getting to a fifty partnership in 17.4 overs.
Just before lunch, after surviving through the tough periods, Brathwaite got an unplayable one from Rajitha in the 25th over. Bowling from wide of the crease, Rajitha got the ball to pitch outside off stump and straighten just enough to take a very fine outside edge to the keeper. Even Brathwaite didn’t trust that the ball took had taken the edge, he opted to take the DRS, but the review was struck down. A couple of overs later the Umpires called for lunch.
The first of three breaks were instigated by rain during the lunch break, and we lost two hours of play. The Windies attempted to push the scoring rate after the first break, they scored 27 in the 4.5 overs that were bowled before play was aborted again. Another five overs of play, and a third interruption forced the umpires to take early tea. Post tea, there was enough time for Kumara to get his first of the game, and the Windies finished at 118/2 (44.3 overs).
The home team trails by 135 runs with eight wickets remaining in their innings.
Photo Credits - CWI Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography
