Sri Lanka give Windies tricky final day

It was a day where the West Indies bowlers were put to the sword by the Sri Lankan batters, and as the first Test enters its fifth and final day, the home side face a daunting task of having to bat throughout the final day to either win or draw the encounter at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

At stumps on the fourth day, the West Indies were 34 for one in their second innings, still needing 341 runs to win, after Sri Lanka put up a formidable total of 476 in their second time at the crease.

Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner will resume on 15 and captain Kraigg Brathwaite on eight, as the West Indies will have to pull off another heroic final-day display like they did in Bangladesh recently to win the first Test of that series.

Jamaican John Campbell fell for just 11 to seamer Vishwa Fernando as the Sri Lankans set themselves up in a winning position after a resolute display with the bat earlier in the day.

Their staunch resistance was set up by a magnificent 179-run sixth-wicket stand between debutant Pathum Nissanka, who hit his maiden Test century, and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, who fell four runs short of his maiden Test hundred.

Nissanka hit just six fours in his circumspect knock of 103, while Dickwella, who survived a couple of chances, made 96 before he became the third scalp for Kemar Roach, who finished with figures of three for 74.

Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall, who eventually got Nissanka out, also claimed three wickets for 137 runs. Kyle Mayers ended with two for 24.

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA 1st innings 169

WEST INDIES 1st Innings 271

SRI LANKA 2nd Innings

(overnight 255 for four)

L Thirimanne b Roach 76

*D Karunaratne c Campbell b Roach 3

O Fernando c wkp Da Silva b Mayers 91

D Chandimal c wkp Da Silva b Mayers 4

D de Silva b Joseph 50

P Nissanka c Roach b Cornwall 103

+N Dickwella b Roach 96

S Lakmal run out 8

D Chameera c Mayers b Cornwall 6

L Embuldeniya c Holder b Cornwall 10

V Fernando not out 0

Extras (b13, lb5, nb11) 29

TOTAL (all out, 149.5 overs) 476

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Karunaratne), 2-170 (O Fernando), 3-178 (Chandimal), 4-189 (Thirimanne), 5-259 (Dhananjaya), 6-438 (Nissanka), 7-460 (Dickwella), 8-462 (Lakmal), 9-476 (Embuldeniya), 10-476 (Chameera)

Bowling: Roach 27-3-74-3 (nb6), Gabriel 18-2-67-0, Holder 22-4-40-0 (nb1), Joseph 21-2-83-1, Cornwall 42.5-4-137-3, Brathwaite 9-1-30-0, Mayers 9-1-24-2 (nb3), Blackwood 1-0-3-0.

WEST INDIES 2nd Innings (target: 375 runs)

K Brathwaite not out 8

J Campbell c wkp Dickwella b V Fernando 11

N Bonner not out 15

TOTAL (1 wkt, 20 overs) 34

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Campbell)

Bowling: Lakmal 7-4-4-0, V Fernando 6-0-21-1, Embuldeniya 4-2-5-0, Chameera 2-1-4-0, Dhananjaya 1-1-0-0.

Position: West Indies require 341 runs for victory with nine wickets intact.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: G Brathwaite, J Wilson; TV - N Duguid.