WI beaten but not disgraced

COLOMBO: Mahela Jayawardene anchored Sri Lanka’s impressive six-wicket victory over the West Indies in the First Test yesterday as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in their two-match cricket series. Jayawardene’s partnerships with Thilan Samaraweera for the fourth wicket and Tillekeratne Dilshan in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand, saw Sri Lanka recover from 49 for three in the 12th over to reach 175 for four on the fourth day after a rain-affected third day. Undefeated with a second innings of 41 at the Singhalese Sports Club, Jayawardene halted a top-order slide as fiery West Indies paceman Jermain Lawson threatened to destroy Sri Lanka’s  aspirations.

It was a Dilshan cover drive for four off a Tino Best delivery that clinched Sri Lanka’s victory half an hour after tea. Dilshan was undefeated on 30, taking over from Samaraweera, who fired and impressive half century before falling leg before wicket to Lawson to give the speedster his fourth wicket of the innings and eight of the match. Offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan helped set the stage for victory before lunch when he notched his 45th five-wicket haul in Tests. Muralitharan’s seven-wicket haul in two innings takes him to a career total of 539 wickets, still well short of Shane Warne’s record of 583. After sitting out international cricket for 11 months with a shoulder injury, and displaying indifferent form in the first innings, Muralitharan bamboozled a youthful and inexperienced 

West Indies lower-order when it  resumed on an overnight score of  59 for six on a pitch that progressively took turn as the sun came out for the first time since the first day. “Man-of-the-Match”, Chaminda Vaas said dismissing the tourists for under 150 in the second innings had been their game plan, adding Muralitharan’s haul of six for 36 also helped. A series of blazing strokes saw Samaraweera take only 53 balls to bring up his 50 in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 86 with Jayawardene off only 88 balls. Jermain Lawson (four for 59 in the first innings) threatened the Sri Lanka victory celebrations when he grabbed the three early wickets to have figures of three for 16 before Jayawardene and Samaraweera steadied the innings.

Lawson revived memories of former West Indies pace and power as he had the opening batsmen Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu in trouble, firing in a series of deliveries that clocked near the 150 kph. Apart from solid defiance and another anchor role innings by the West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, there was some resistance from Best (27) who shared a 44-runs ninth wicket with Chanderpaul The day began controversially when Omari Banks was adjudged caught by Dilshan with a bat-pad decision. But television replays showed the Pakistan umpire, Nadeem Ghuri, erred in ruling in favour of the appeal. When Daren Powell fell the following ball, it was a matter of time before the innings ended. But Best held his inning together for 74 minutes in a mixed display of attack and caution to help West Indies pass the 100 mark. (AP)

COLOMBO SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA VS WEST INDIES
West Indies 1st inns: 285             
Sri Lanka 1st inns: 227              
West Indies 2nd inns:                    
(Overnight 59 for six)                     
S Joseph c Jaywardene b Muralitharan 2
X Marshall LBW b Vaas 2
R Morton LBW b Vaas 0
N Deonarine LBW b Vaas 7
S Chanderpaul not out 48
D Smith LBW b Vaas 0
D Ramdin LBW b Muralitharan 11
O Banks c Dilshan b Muralitharan 7
D Powell c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 0
T Best st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 27
J Lawson c sub b Muralitharan 0
EXTRAS (B8, NB1) 9
Total 113
Fall of wickets: 3; 3; 15; 21; 21; 48; 69; 69; 113.
BOWLING: Vaas 18-9-15-4; Malinga 12-5-22-0 (NB1); Muralitharan 21-9-36-6; Jayasuriya 6-1-20-0; Herath 3-0-12-0.
Sri Lanka 2nd inns:                     
S Jayasuriya c Marshall b Lawson 15
M Atapattu c Ramdin b Lawson 28
K Sangakkara c Joseph b Lawson 0
M Jayawardene not out 41
T Samaraweera LBW b Lawson 51
T Dilshan not out 30
EXTRAS (LB6, NB3, W1) 10
Total for four wickets 175
Fall of wickets: 34; 34; 49; 135.
DID NOT BAT: Gayan Wijekoon, Chaminda Vaas, Rangana Herath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga.
BOWLING: Powell 8-0-44-0 (NB3); Lawson 12-2-43-4 (W1); Best 8.3-1-40-0; Omari Banks 7-0-31-0; Smith 3-1-11-0. (AP)