Roach strikes twice to keep Sri Lanka in trouble
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA (AFP) — Kemar Roach grabbed two wickets in the afternoon session to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 129 for five at tea on the opening day of the first Test of the two-match series against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Sunday.
Only Lahiru Thirimanne offered any meaningful resistance to the home side’s bowlers, the opening batsman battling for four hours so far to be unbeaten on 56 at the interval. He will resume in the final session of the day in partnership with Niroshan Dickwella (21 not out).
Deprived of early success in the morning when Jermaine Blackwood missed a simple chance at backward-point off Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Roach earned the rewards for his persistent efforts by bowling Dhananjaya de Silva and then having debutant Pathum Nissanka superbly taken by a diving Jason Holder at second slip to leave the visitors languishing at 92 for five in mid-afternoon.
Thirimanne then found reasonably stable support in Dickwella, the occasionally adventurous wicketkeeper-batsman proving the aggressor in a 37-run sixth-wicket stand so far.
Having put Sri Lanka in at the start of the day, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s decision to introduce the off-spin of Rahkeem Cornwall after just seven overs brought immediate returns when Karunaratne fell for 12 via a smart catch by John Campbell at forward short-leg.
Brathwaite’s speed and accuracy then accounted for Oshada Fernando, the new batsman called through for a sharp single but found well short of his ground by the skipper’s direct hit at the striker’s end running in from cover.
Former captain Dinesh Chandimal departed on the stroke of the lunch interval when Holder, who has lost the Test captaincy to his fellow Barbadian, induced an edge for wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva to snare a regulation catch.
Despite closing off the three-match one-day international series a week earlier with a match-winning century, Darren Bravo was omitted from the West Indies final XI together with left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who featured in the wins in Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka have endured a miserable Caribbean campaign so far, losing the T20 international series 2-1 and then being swept 3-0 in the ODIs.
