Our bowlers didn’t show enough discipline – Simmons

West Indies coach Phil Simmons says his team would have to come out firing with the ball on today's fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka if his side is to go on to get a positive result from the match.

Simmons made the comments after the visitors dominated the third day following an outstanding display with the bat. The Sri Lankans have so far posted 255 for four in their second time at the crease, this is an overall lead of 153 runs after the West Indies were dismissed for 271 in their first innings.

The batting heroics from the Sri Lankans were led by number three batsman Oshada Fernando, who played a masterful innings of 91, and opener Lahiru Thirimanne, who notched up his second half-century of the match, getting 76.

The pair put on a record 162 runs for the second wicket to starve the West Indies bowlers as a pitch that got better and better for batting on the third day.

The home side would eventually get a breakthrough late in the day, as two wickets from Kyle Mayers and Kemar Roach, brought the host back into the contest.

The combination of Mayers and wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva accounted for the wickets of Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal for four, while Kemar Roach bagged the scalps of captain Dimuth Karunaratne for three and Thirimanne.

Crank it up

Dhananjaya de Silva will resume today's fourth day on 46 and with him is Pathum Nissanka on 21. With a lead of 153 runs, coach Simmons is expecting his bowling unit to crank it up on the fourth morning.

"We have to come out and get early wickets. I think the first hour is always critical and we have to limit them to as least runs as possible," said Simmons.

In the meantime, Roach believes a score of 250 batting last for the home side would be gettable.

"I think 250 batting last on this pitch is about par, I think we have the guys in the dressing room to do that we will be looking to get the Sri Lankans out for at least a lead of 250," said Roach.