Mayers hits WI out of early trouble

NORTH SOUND: Suranga Lakmal’s mastery of swing and seam caused the West Indies early trouble before a risky counter-attack by Kyle Mayers lifted the home side to 86-2 at lunch on the opening day of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka on Monday.

Fresh from career-best Test figures of 5-47 a week earlier also at the at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, Lakmal wasted no time in justifying the decision by his captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, to put the West Indies in as he removed John Campbell and Nkrumah Bonner.

Campbell fell to a straightforward catch by wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella.

Bonner, who defied the Sri Lankans for seven hours in compiling an unbeaten century to ensure a draw in the first Test, fell without scoring, playing on.

New batsman Mayers responded in his usual attacking style, dominating an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 71 with his skipper, Kraigg Brathwaite (26 not out) to reach 49 not out at the interval.

Mayers’ penchant for attack brought him eight boundaries off 58 deliveries but he lived dangerously, edging close to the slip cordon as the Sri Lankan pacers continued to offer the left-hander the opportunity to exercise his expansive off-drives in the hope that he would offer a catch to the waiting fielders.

Both teams are unchanged from the first Test where the tourists rallied from a 102-run first innings deficit to seize the initiative, only for the home side to bat through the final day to draw.

Sri Lanka are seeking a first-ever Test series triumph in the Caribbean, while the West Indies are keen to follow up their series success in Bangladesh in February with a home triumph ahead of a long international break to accommodate the Indian Premier League.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

K.C. Brathwaite not out 26 J.D. Campbell c Dickwella b Lakmal 5

N.E. Bonner b Lakmal 0

K.R. Mayers not out 49

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-2) 6

TOTAL (for two wkts, 27 overs) 86

FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-15.

TO BAT: J. Blackwood, J.O. Holder, J. da Silva, A.S. Joseph, R.R.S. Cornwall, K.A.J. Roach, S,T. Gabriel.

BOWLING (to-date): Lakmal 10-6-25-2 (1nb); M.V.T. Fernando 7-1-24-0; Embuldeniya 5-1-20-0 (1nb); Chameera 4-1-13-0; de Silva 1-1-0-0.

SRI LANKA: F.D.M. Karunaratne, H.D.R.L. Thirimanne, B.O.P. Fernando, L.D. Chandimal, D.M. de Silva, P. Nissanka, N. Dickwella, R.A.S. Lakmal, P.V.D. Chameera, L. Embuldeniya, M.V.T. Fernando.

UMPIRES: J.S. Wilson (West Indies) and G.O. Brathwaite (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: N. Duguid (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: R.B. Richardson (West Indies).