| 0.0 : Ladies and Gentlemen, hello and a warm welcome to the third and final Test match between the West Indies and Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. This is a historical afternoon for the people of Caribbean as Barbados hosts the first ever day-night Test match. After the last two Tests, Windies go into this one with an advantage, looking to finish the series on a high. If the first Test was a dull affair, the second Test had a lot of drama and nervous excitement. Now, we move into |
| A ball-tampering scandal meant that regular Test skipper, Dinesh Chandimal, will miss this match while Rangana Herath is also unlikely to play due to an injury. The Lankans will be lead by Suranga Lakmal and meanwhile, Jeffrey Vandersay has been sent home owing to a breach in his contract. The home team would like nothing less a trophy in their cabinet and hence, a win or a draw would suffice. We are sure to have a well-fought game on our hands. Stay tuned for the live action in a while. |
| Pitch Report - Jeff Dujon observes the pitch and says that there's a lot of grass, especially on the good length area. Reckons that it will be a bit two-paced. Ends being unsure of the behavior of the ball as it is the first day-night Test in this part of the world and hence says that the captain winning the toss should bat first. |
| Toss - Jason Holder calls it correctly and WINDIES WILL BAT. |
| Windies skipper Jason Holder says that although there's a lot of grass on the pitch, they would want to put up a good score on the board. He adds that there are no changes in the team. He feels great to be a part of history, captaining the team in the first day-night Test match at home. Mentions that they need to be consistent, get starts and convert them into big totals. Adds further that bowlers need to be tighter and the fielders need to catch everything. |
| Sri Lanka's new Test captain, Suranga Lakmal, says that he's happy to lead the side. Ends stating a couple of changes - Danushka Gunathilaka in for Dinesh Chandimal and Dilruwan Perera in for Akila Dananjaya. |
| It's time. The men who matter take their positions on the ground. Kraigg Brathwaite will face the first ball from Sri Lankan skipper Suranga Lakmal. Devon Smith waits at the other end. Here we go... |
| 0.1 : S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Starts with a loosener on the pads and Kraigg works it to the leg side and opens the account. |
| 0.2 : S Lakmal to D Smith, Touch short and wide and some width for the batman. He hangs back in his crease and cuts it between cover-point for a brace. |
| 0.3 : S Lakmal to Smith, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 0.4 : S Lakmal to Smith, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 0.5 : S Lakmal to Smith, Outside off, left alone. |
| 0.6 : S Lakmal to D Smith, OUT! BOOM! Impact straightaway. New skipper is into the action and leading from the front. What a peach to bowl in the very first over. Around the wicket, on a length, pushed in with some venom and Bang! The ball pitches outside off and straightens from there. Devon tentatively puts his bat, trying to get in line but only manages an outside edge and Dhanajaya at third slip takes an easy catch. First blood for Lakmal and great start for the visitors. |
| Kieron Powell is the next man in for the Windies. |
| Lahiru Kumara to share the new ball from the other end. |
| 1.1 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Back of a length around off, Kraigg pushes it to point. |
| 1.2 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Similar length into the batsman and hits the batsman on his thigh pad. |
| 1.3 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 1.4 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Outside off and Brathwaite happy to let it pass. |
| 1.5 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 1.6 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Back of a length, extracting some bounce from the pitch, the batsman blocks it of the back foot. |
| 2.1 : S Lakmal to Powell, FOUR! Nice and easy for Powell this time. He got to a similar delivery in the last match but played this one really well. Fullish ball on middle and off, Powell watches it closely and get punches it off the back foot. The timing is even better as the ball races away to the cover boundary fence. |
| 2.2 : S Lakmal to Powell, Drags his length back and the batsman happy to keep it out. |
| 2.3 : S Lakmal to Powell, Too wide to entice the left-hander with a short. |
| 2.4 : S Lakmal to Powell, Outside off and another leave by Powell. |
| 2.5 : S Lakmal to Powell, Third leave on a trot. Nothing doing with the wider deliveries. |
| 2.6 : S Lakmal to Powell, Lakmal comes near the off stump and Powell comes on the front foot and blocks it onto the pitch. |
| 3.1 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Channel around off on a good length and kept out by the right-hander. |
| 3.2 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends it. |
| 3.3 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Touch full and Brathwaite pushes it to the cover fielder for nothing. |
| 3.4 : L Kumara to Brathwaite, Touch too straight, clipped to square leg for a single. |
| 3.5 : L Kumara to Powell, Beauty! Angles it across Powell from over the wicket and just leaves him after pitching. Powell couldn't have done much except getting beaten. |
| 3.6 : L Kumara to Powell, Down the leg and the batsman lets it pass. |
| 4.1 : S Lakmal to Brathwaite, On a length around off, the batsman gets behind the line and blocks it out. |
| 4.2 : S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Short of a length and into the batsman, Kraigg gets on the back foot and dishes it out. |
| Another wicket for the Sri Lankans? It looks like a great catch from the point fielder but the umpires have gone upstairs to check if it has been cleanly taken or not. |
| 4.3 : S Lakmal to Brathwaite, OUT! Peach, an absolute peach! Extra bounce, that channel around off stump and another wicket. It's all happening in Barbados. The ball pitches on a back of a length and gets it to rise near the grille, Brathwaite tries to get his bat behind the line but the ball goes off the shoulder of the bat. The fielder at point comes charging in, dives to his front and takes an exceptional catch. Score is still in single digits while Windies have lost two already. |
| Shai Hope is the new man in. |
| 4.4 : S Lakmal to Hope, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 4.5 : S Lakmal to Hope, Play and a miss. A good bowl from the skip once again. Around off and just short of a length. Hope tries to play but misses. |
| 4.6 : S Lakmal to Hope, Hangs back and defends it. |
| 5.1 : L Kumara to Powell, Just back of a length, Powell keeps it out. |
| 0.0 : Kusal Mendis seems to have pulled off another sharp catch in the slip cordon. The celebrations from the Lankans is a confident one. But the unsure umpires get together and take it upstairs. Reckon that's the end of Powell, let's await the final call. |
| 5.2 : L Kumara to Powell, OUT! Sri Lankan bowlers are on fire. Another beauty from Kumara. Serves a fuller delivery around off and makes him play at it. Powell pushes it from his crease and gets an outside edge. The ball dips just in front of the Kusal Mendis, who takes a good low catch to his right and sends Powell home. |
| Roston Chase makes his way out at no. 5. |
| 5.3 : L Kumara to Chase, Bumper to start with. The batsman lets it pass. |
| 5.4 : L Kumara to R Chase, An effort ball from Lahiru and almost had another. The ball pitches just outside on a back of a length and the ball rises after pitching and goes off the splice. Fortunate for Chase, it drops near him. No harm done in the end. |
| 5.5 : L Kumara to Chase, The batsman was beaten and missed the line of the delivery. |
| 5.6 : L Kumara to Chase, On a good length around off, the batsman comes to the front foot and punches it to the vacant cover area and runs. The non striker isn't interested and sends him back, just in time. Meanwhile the fielder from the cover region comes across and has a shy at the stumps but misses. The fielder covering behind the stumps does to stop the ball cleanly. |
| 6.1 : S Lakmal to Hope, No run. |
| 6.2 : S Lakmal to Hope, A touch fuller and defended from the crease by Hope. |
| 6.3 : S Lakmal to Hope, Around off, blocked to the off side. |
| 6.4 : S Lakmal to Hope, On a good length around middle and off, Hope stays back in his crease and keeps it out. |
| 6.5 : S Lakmal to Hope, This will give him some confidence. On a driveable length outside off, Hope plants his front foot down the pitch and meets the ball from the middle of the bat. The ball goes through covers and two runs are added to the total. |
| 6.6 : S Lakmal to Hope, On a short of a length and Shai shows the full face of the bat for nothing. |
| 7.1 : L Kumara to Chase, Fuller outside off, pushed towards mid off, off the front foot. |
| 7.2 : L Kumara to Chase, This one is kept out off the back foot towards covers. |
| 7.3 : L Kumara to Chase, Fuller on middle and leg, flicked away in front of square on the leg side for a couple. |
| Update 1537 local (1937 GMT) - And off the players go. The covers are being brought onto the pitch. A sudden burst of heavy rain has interrupted the play. The players rush back for some cover along with the umpires. There's a huge cloud cover over the Kensington Oval and it is way too dark for an afternoon. Let's hope the play resumes soon. We'll keep you updated. |
| Update 1622 local (2022 GMT) - Happy news! The rain has stopped and the super soppers are pressed into service. The surface is being examined by the umpires and we should know soon about the resumption scenario. We'll keep you posted. |
| Update 1626 local time (2026 GMT) - Best news! We will get underway in another 4 minutes as the conditions are fit for resumption. Don't go anywhere, folks! |
| The players are on the field and the action is about to get underway. Kumara to bowl to Chase. |
| 7.4 : L Kumara to Chase, Full into the stumps, Chase dabs it to the on side and gets a single through the mid-wicket region. |
| 7.5 : L Kumara to Hope, Back of a length outside off, it whizzes past the outside edge of the defensive blade. |
| 7.6 : L Kumara to Hope, Short and wide, Hope gets his bat up and lets it pass. |
| 8.1 : S Lakmal to Chase, An absolute jaffa from Lakmal. Lands it around off on a back of a length. The ball comes in with the angle and jags away after pitching. Chase has no chance of getting bat to it. |
| 8.2 : S Lakmal to Chase, Full around off and pushed down the ground of the front foot for nothing. |
| 8.3 : S Lakmal to Chase, Fuller length again and just goes under the ball. Low bounce this time and the batsman does well to keep it out. |
| 8.4 : S Lakmal to Chase, Around off, on a length and another one passes the outside edge. |
| 8.5 : S Lakmal to Chase, Gets behind this time and defends it off the back foot. |
| 8.6 : S Lakmal to R Chase, FOUR! Nice and easy this time. This will give him some much needed confidence. On a fuller length outside off, Chase comes on the front foot and reach for the ball and creams it through covers. |
| 9.1 : L Kumara to Hope, Short of a length and outside off, Hope fails to put bat to ball. |
| 9.2 : L Kumara to Hope, Outside off, left alone. |
| 9.3 : L Kumara to Hope, Short ball, near the helmet. Hope was in two minds, whether to leave it or play. In the end, he misses the pull as the ball thuds into keeper's gloves. |
| 9.4 : L Kumara to Hope, Back of a length outside off, Hope keeps his bat close to his body and lets it be. |
| 9.5 : L Kumara to Hope, Similar line and length, defended off the back foot. |
| 9.6 : L Kumara to Hope, Down the leg, Hope looks to flick it but misses. |
| 10.1 : S Lakmal to Chase, Chase has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 10.2 : S Lakmal to Chase, On a good length around middle and off, keeps it out with the full face of the bat. |
| 10.3 : S Lakmal to Chase, Drags his length back a touch, width for Chase and he cuts it behind point. Gunathilaka runs after it and saves a couple for his team. |
| 10.4 : S Lakmal to Chase, FOUR OVERTHROWS! Lakmal isn't happy there, Mendis the culprit. Full just outside off, Roston goes after it and gets a thick outside edge. The ball drops in front of Dhananjaya de Silva at third slip, who does well to stop it. The fielder Kusal Mendis, from second slip, has a shy at striker's end but misses. The ball goes through the mid on region and to the fence behind. |
| 10.5 : S Lakmal to Chase, Gets behind the delivery this time and defends it. |
| 10.6 : S Lakmal to Chase, Strays on the pads, Chase clips it off his pads and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| 11.1 : L Kumara to Chase, Down the leg side and left alone for the keeper. |
| 11.2 : Kumara to Chase, Yorker! Nicely dug out by Chase. |
| 11.3 : L Kumara to Chase, On a good length, kept out. |
| 11.4 : L Kumara to Chase, Nice. Good cricket all around. Angles this one into Chase into his pads and the batsman looks to play to the on side but gets it from the inner half of the bat. The ball lobs in the air and drops just in front of the fielder at short leg. So close, yet so far. |
| The lights have been switched on. |
| 11.5 : L Kumara to Chase, Back of a length around off, Roston happy to defend. |
| 11.6 : L Kumara to Chase, Full around off, works it to the mid on region for nothing. |
| 12.1 : S Lakmal to Hope, Consistent probing from the skipper around the off stump. Back of a length, around off and Hope hangs his bat but the ball goes past the outside edge. |
| 12.2 : S Lakmal to Hope, Gets forward and keeps it out down the pitch. |
| 12.3 : S Lakmal to Hope, Outside off, left alone by Hope. |
| 12.4 : S Lakmal to Hope, Another beauty from Suranga. Just outside off, back of a length and straightens are pitching. Hope looks to have a poke at it but misses again. |
| 12.5 : S Lakmal to Hope, Third miss and play for Roston Chase. This pitch is not easy and you got to show some skills to survive here. Short around off, the ball goes past the edge once again and thuds into the keeper's gloves. |
| 12.6 : S Lakmal to Hope, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| Kasun Rajitha is the first change for Sri Lanka. |
| 13.1 : K Rajitha to Chase, Rajitha begins with a fullish delivery outside off that stays a bit low. Chase hangs back and somehow keeps it out. |
| 13.2 : K Rajitha to Chase, Full around off, pushed back down the ground. Kasun fields it in his followthrough. |
| 13.3 : K Rajitha to Chase, Full and down the leg side, Roston looks to flick but misses. |
| 13.4 : K Rajitha to Chase, OUT! Timber! What a beauty! The sight of the stumps flying at the ground is a sight to behold for any fast bowler. Rajitha delivers it on a fuller length just outside off. Chase is unsure of the movement of the delivery. Yet he chooses to play the loose drive away from the body. That he does and pays the price as well. He looks to play it through mid off with an angled bat and as a result, the ball takes the inside edge and uproots the middle stick. This sets Kasun off |
| The next batter in for Windies is the wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich. He has looked in decent touch in this series. Now, his side needs him to fire more than ever. |
| 13.5 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Full and down the leg side, Shane misses his flick. |
| 13.6 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Outside off on a length, defended towards point for nothing. End of a successful over from Rajitha, a wicket-maiden! |
| 14.1 : S Lakmal to Hope, Full and outside off, left alone. |
| 14.2 : S Lakmal to Hope, Hope stays on his back foot and blocks it with a straight bat. |
| 14.3 : S Lakmal to Hope, Length ball around off, blocked from the crease. |
| 14.4 : S Lakmal to Hope, SH shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 14.5 : S Lakmal to S Hope, Full and outside off, driven straight to the man at covers. |
| 14.6 : S Lakmal to Hope, Hope looks to work this one to the on side but ends up getting it off the leading edge back towards the bowler. A maiden from the Lankan skipper now. |
| 15.1 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Length ball angling in, Shane stays in his crease and defends it to short leg. |
| 15.2 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, On a length in line of the stumps, blocked down the ground. |
| 15.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Huge appeal! Length ball, a bit on the shorter side. Dowrich hops and looks to defend but misses the ball and wears it high on the back pad. An appeal from the touring team is turned down. It contemplated reviewing the same but doesn't. Good call in the end as Hawk Eye showed that it would have gone over the stumps. |
| 15.4 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, On a length around off and middle, defended. |
| 15.5 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Full and well outside off, Shane gets the stride forward and lets it be. |
| 15.6 : K Rajitha to S Dowrich, Short in length, in line of the stumps. Dowrich stands tall and pulls it through square leg to open his account. |
| Change of ends for Lahiru Kumara. He replaces his captain. |
| 16.1 : L Kumara to S Dowrich, FOUR! Excellently played. The balance that Dowrich held is just stupendous. It was an attempted yorker from Kumara, that was received as a low full toss. Shane just flicked it and beat the man at mid on. Next thing, it's a boundary. |
| 16.2 : L Kumara to Dowrich, This one is flicked off the pads for a single. |
| 16.3 : L Kumara to Hope, Snorter! Back of a length delivery, angling in. Hope hops and gets it off the gloves, over short leg. Wasn't played in a convincing manner. My colleague here reminds me of him getting hurt on the ribs in the previous match. Perhaps that played on Shai's mind. Gets a run this time. |
| 16.4 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Dowrich has a feel for it only to miss the ball by not much. |
| 16.5 : L Kumara to Dowrich, This ball is kept out off the back foot. |
| 16.6 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Length ball around off, pushed towards covers for nothing. |
| 17.1 : K Rajitha to Hope, On a length well outside off, the ball doesn't climb much. Hope, though, stays put in the crease and shoulders arms. |
| 17.2 : K Rajitha to Hope, This one jagged back in after pitching. Shai does well to clip it to mid on. |
| 17.3 : K Rajitha to S Hope, FOUR! Impressive or restless? I'll let the description decide. Short length ball outside off, Hope camps back. Executes the heave over mid on. The ball lands well inside the ropes and bounces away. On a two-paced uneven bouncing surface, such strokes are better put away in the closet. Hope gets away this time. |
| 17.4 : K Rajitha to S Hope, Very full on off, pushed defensively towards mid off. |
| Short leg goes back to square leg. |
| 17.5 : K Rajitha to Hope, FOUR! Lucky, lucky Shai! Full and in line of the middle stump, Hope looks to work it away to the on side. The ball takes the leading outside edge and flies just past the reach of the fielder at gully. The end result is a boundary for the Windies batter but well away from convincing one that. |
| 17.6 : K Rajitha to Hope, Down the leg side, SH misses the attempted flick. |
| 18.1 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Angling in on a length, Shane works it past short leg for one. |
| 0.0 : Review time! Sri Lanka seem confident of having trapped Hope in front of the stumps. Doesn't look plumb to the naked eye due to which the umpire turned down the appeal. Lakmal signals the 'T' and gets it reviewed. Sliding down leg perhaps... |
| 18.2 : L Kumara to Hope, MISSING! Never looked close! Angling in on a length, Hope looks to defend but misses. He was on his toes as he did so. The ball went on to hit him high on the front pad. This made the Lankans scream in an appeal. Kumara wants it to be reviewed and gets the nod from the keeper. Lakmal uses the DRS now. The Hawk Eye comes up, post which, the third umpire, Aleem Dar, says, well done Kettleborough, stay with your decision. This was because the ball was going down leg. The tou |
| 18.3 : L Kumara to S Hope, Full outside off, driven to mid off. |
| 18.4 : L Kumara to Hope, This one has been pushed towards mid on. |
| 18.5 : L Kumara to Hope, Hurled around off, Hope gets squared up in his defense and gets it off the outer half to gully. |
| 18.6 : L Kumara to Hope, This is too wide to make Shai play. |
| 19.1 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Length delivery on off, defended back towards the bowler. |
| 19.2 : K Rajitha to S Dowrich, Hard work for Kumara. Short ball on the stumps, pulled away through square leg. The pacer, having completed bowling from the other end, rushes to his left from fine leg and keeps it down to two. |
| 19.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Around off, pushed off the front foot towards mid off. |
| 19.4 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Outside off, defensively played towards covers. |
| 19.5 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Banged short on the stumps, Dowrich sinks down to let it pass. |
| 19.6 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, FOUR! Placed well. Not wide albeit short. It is just outside off on a length. Dowrich manufactured the required width by staying leg side. Post that, he cuts it fiercely through backward point for a boundary. Not a good way to end the over. |
| Spin time! Dilruwan Perera, back in the side, will roll his arm now. There's a short leg apart from a couple of slips. |
| 20.1 : D Perera to Hope, Begins with a flatter delivery well outside off, Hope covers his sticks and shoulders arms. |
| 20.2 : D Perera to Hope, Floated outside off, defended with a lovely stride forward. |
| 20.3 : D Perera to Hope, Quicker through the air this time, blocked with a lunge forward. |
| 20.4 : D Perera to Hope, Slower now, around middle and leg. Shai goes back and keeps it out towards short leg. |
| 20.5 : D Perera to Hope, Nicely tossed up around off, pushed back to the bowler. |
| 20.6 : D Perera to Hope, Perera switched sides and comes around the wicket. Gives it plenty of loop as well. Hope lunges and stoutly defends it. A maiden for Dilruwan and that ENDS THE SESSION! |
| Sri Lanka can well pat their backs after the end of the first segment in this Test match. The pink ball always raises expectations for the seamers and the tourists did well to ensure that the breed will continue to do so for time to come. Getting the ball to talk is a figurative term in the sport, but at 8/3, it surely was talking. The top order of the hosts was blown away in a trice and it looked as if the writing was on the wall. But then the heavens opened up. |
| A delay of close to an hour ensued. Perhaps that gave the Windies batters some respite from the relentless bowling of Sri Lanka. Or it gave the probing pacers some time off to rejuvenate and recharge their batteries. On resumption though, the zing wasn't more. But the testing stuff continued. That resulted in the wicket of Roston Chase. Well, it was his undoing that he chose to get out the loose drive from his repertoire. It was a welcome thing for the visitors, who got a wicket after 8.2 overs. |
| For a man leading for the first time in Tests, Suranga Lakmal showed the extra fervor with the way he bowled. His twin strikes first up were instrumental in the Lankans having their tails up. Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha also joined in the party then. It will be interesting to see if they can continue their good work in the upcoming section. Remember, there is the spin element as well that will keep us interested. So, with lots to look forward to, see ya on the other side at 1800 local (2200 |
| ... DAY ONE, SESSION TWO ... |
| Often we talk about the players having a refreshing beverage or snack and coming back on. The umpires are not talked about much. Hoping they had the deserving break and refreshments, let's now focus on the other thirteen who walk out. Welcome back! The lights have taken greater effect now as Shane Dowrich will face the first delivery of this session from Kasun Rajitha. Three slips in place. Let's roll! |
| 21.1 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Back of a length on the hips, Dowrich tucks it behind square and takes a brace. |
| 21.2 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Full around off, defended to the off side. |
| 21.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Keeps the length ball out off the front foot. |
| 21.4 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Touch short and outside off, ignored by the batsman. |
| 21.5 : Rajitha to S Dowrich, OOH! A chance created straighaway after the break. A short ball wide outside off and for some reason. Dowrich went across for the pull. He gets a top edge, the ball lobs in the air and goes behind the point fielder. The fielder runs after it but couldn't reach it in time. One run results. |
| 21.6 : K Rajitha to Hope, Keeps his bat close to his body and lets the ball pass to the keeper. |
| Suranga Lakmal will begin proceedings from the other end. |
| 22.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Length ball around off, blocked from the crease by Shane. |
| 22.2 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, This one comes in from similar length, Dowrich does well to get some bat on to keep down the pitch. |
| 22.3 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, FOUR! A gentle loosener from Lakmal and Dowrich is in sublime form to mis out on such opportunities. A back of a length delivery on the hips. Shane lines it up and flicks it to the square leg boundary. |
| 22.4 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, On a length and defended to the off side for nothing. |
| 22.5 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Hangs back in his crease and presents the full face of the bat. |
| 22.6 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Defended off the front foot by Shane, presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 23.1 : K Rajitha to S Hope, OUT! Windies hope fading as Hope takes the long walk back to the pavilion. Jumps wide of the crease, angles it from there around off and keeps it on a fuller length. Shai hope's feet are glued to the crease and just the bat goes towards the bat. The ball holds it line after pitching and takes the outside edge of the willow. Kusal Perera at second slip dives to his left and takes a nice low catch. Sri Lanka's catching has been of top notch and the results are in front o |
| 0.0 : Jason Holder comes to the crease. |
| 23.2 : K Rajitha to Holder, Full into the pads, Holder flicks it from there and threads the gap between mid-wicket and long on. The fielder from mid-wicket hares after it and saves a run for his team. |
| 23.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Defended off the front foot by Dowrich presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 23.4 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, On a length aorund off, kept out by Dowrich. |
| 23.5 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Shane shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 23.6 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Another defense around the off stump to end a successful over for Rajitha. |
| 24.1 : S Lakmal to Holder, Touch full, just outside off, Holder gets behind the line and defends it nicely. |
| 24.2 : S Lakmal to Holder, Back of a length, defended off the back foot for nothing. |
| 24.3 : S Lakmal to Holder, Similar line and length, the ball goes just pass the outside edge. Probing line from the skip. |
| 24.4 : S Lakmal to Holder, Short and into the body, Jason gets behind the line of the delivery and defends it. |
| 24.5 : S Lakmal to Holder, Hangs back and keeps the shortish delivery out. |
| 24.6 : S Lakmal to Holder, No run. |
| 25.1 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, No run. |
| 25.2 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Strays in line a touch and bowls this one on the pads. The batsman clips it to the fielder at short square leg. |
| 25.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, On a length on outside off, Dowrich drives it through covers but Lakmal hares after it and keeps it down to one. |
| 25.4 : K Rajitha to Holder, Outside off, left alone. |
| 25.5 : K Rajitha to Holder, On the middle stump, clipped to the square leg fielder for nothing. |
| 25.6 : K Rajitha to Holder, No run. |
| 26.1 : S Lakmal to S Dowrich, FOUR! 'This pitch is so demanding that there is no room for relaxation', stresses Ian Bishop on air. Lakmal serves it full outside off, Dowrich goes for the drive. The ball takes the outer edge and goes just past the left of gully for a boundary. Shane has been just a tad loose in this session so far. Needs to tighten himself up. |
| 26.2 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Length ball around off, blocked from the crease. |
| 26.3 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Another one on off, blocked with a straight bat. |
| 26.4 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Outside off, left alone. |
| 26.5 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Angling in on the stumps, flicked away to mid on. |
| 26.6 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Fuller around off, defended off the front foot to the off side. |
| 27.1 : K Rajitha to Holder, Back of a length into the body, Jason shows the full face of the bat for nothing. |
| 27.2 : K Rajitha to Holder, Similar line and length and it is kept out from the crease. |
| 27.3 : K Rajitha to Holder, FOUR! An attempted bouncer this one. The ball didn't bounce much and it had just enough height for Holder to play the pull. It was into his body, which made it easier for him to get the timing right. In the end, a boundary results from the mid-wicket region. |
| 27.4 : K Rajitha to Holder, Ooh! Enticing. Almost made Holder edge this one. Full and wide outside off, making the batsman feel like its a freebie. Holder pounces on the chance but fails to make connection. This was delivered wide of the crease, thereby making the batter go for it. |
| 27.5 : K Rajitha to Holder, Another full delivery around the same area, pushes to the cover region for nothing. |
| 27.6 : K Rajitha to Holder, Too wide to entice Jason with a shot. |
| Lahiru Kumara is back into the attack. |
| 28.1 : L Kumara to S Dowrich, FOUR! Bangs this one around off, on a short of a length. The ball takes the outside of the Dowrich's blade and goes pass the slip cordon to the boundary. |
| 28.2 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Defended off the back foot by Shane. |
| 28.3 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Too straight into the pads, flicked to the mid-wicket region for a single. |
| 28.4 : L Kumara to Holder, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for Holder. |
| 28.5 : L Kumara to Holder, Played to mid-wicket region by the batsman. Jason runs through for a single. |
| 28.6 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Too wide, left alone by Dowrich. |
| 29.1 : K Rajitha to Holder, Defended off the front foot by Holder, presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 29.2 : K Rajitha to Holder, Short and wide, punched through cover-point for a brace. |
| 29.3 : K Rajitha to Holder, FOUR! What a shot. Holder has enjoyed that and so did my colleagues in the office. A fuller delivery on middle and off, Holder comes forward and meets the ball with the full face of the bat. The timing and power is such that the ball races down the ground for a boundary. |
| 29.4 : K Rajitha to Holder, Holder lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 29.5 : K Rajitha to Holder, Outside off, ignored by Jason. |
| 29.6 : K Rajitha to Holder, Third leave in a row. Holder happy to play out the over. |
| 30.1 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Back of a length into the ribs, Dowrich gets an inside to this one and runs a single from the square leg region. |
| 30.2 : L Kumara to Holder, An attempted bouncer but it doesn't bounce that much. Holder looks to duck under it a touch too early and gets hit on the back of his left shoulder. He looks in some pain after the blow. |
| Some hold up in the play. Windies physio is on the field. Jason Holder needs some attention after taking a blow on the previous delivery. |
| 30.3 : L Kumara to Holder, Tests him with another short one. This one is outside off and Jason lets it pass with some hopping. |
| 30.4 : L Kumara to Holder, Jason picked that bouncer early and let it through to the keeper. |
| 30.5 : L Kumara to Holder, Hangs back and plays the shortish delivery down the ground. |
| 30.6 : L Kumara to Holder, The ball is way wide on the leg side, Holder misses the flick. |
| Spin time now. Dilruwan Perera is back into the attack. |
| 31.1 : D Perera to Dowrich, Flighted on middle and leg, Shane works it through mid-wicket region. Two runs are taken. |
| 31.2 : D Perera to Dowrich, Tosses this one around the off stump, defended to the leg side for nothing. |
| 31.3 : D Perera to Dowrich, Touch short, Dowrich works it to the point region off the back foot. |
| 31.4 : D Perera to Dowrich, Pushes this one back to the back to the bowler. |
| 31.5 : D Perera to Dowrich, On the pads and flicked off the pads to the on side. |
| 31.6 : D Perera to Dowrich, Loopy delivery around middle and off, Dowrich comes forward and blocks it off the front foot to end the over. |
| 32.1 : L Kumara to Holder, FOUR! Streaky but effective! Fuller around off and middle, Holder looks to defend. But the ball takes the outside edge and goes through the gap between the third slip and gully for a boundary. |
| 32.2 : L Kumara to Holder, What a comeback! Full and spearing on the pads, Holder misses the flick. The ball goes off the pads towards fine leg. The Lankans appeal to no avail. A leg bye signaled. |
| 32.3 : L Kumara to Dowrich, This one is defended from the crease showing the full face of the bat. |
| 32.4 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Angling in, Shane flicks it through square leg for one. |
| 32.5 : L Kumara to J Holder, Full on the stumps, driven down the ground. Mid on gets to his left and stops that. |
| 32.6 : L Kumara to Holder, Bouncer to finish. Holder sways away from the line. |
| 33.1 : D Perera to Dowrich, Flighted around, defended to the off side. |
| 33.2 : D Perera to Dowrich, Similar line and length from Perera. Dowrich gets on the front foot and blocks it. |
| 33.3 : D Perera to Dowrich, In the air.... and safe! A nothing shot from Dowrich really. Perera tosses this one outside off, the Windies keeper looks to slog it across. The ball goes in the air off the outer edge of the bat and lands behind the point fielder. Gunathilaka runs after it from there but has no chance of getting anywhere near it. Shane survives a scare and a couple is taken. |
| Update 1858 local (2258 GMT) - Another interruption in the play, courtesy rain. Both the sets of players are running off the ground. Groundsmen are running and tumbling to cover the square as soon as possible. The rain looks heavy, but considering the Caribbean weather, it should clear out soon enough. |
| Update 1937 local (2327 GMT) - The rain had relented for a while before appearing again, we hear. The bottomline is, we're some way off resumption. We'll keep you posted, though. |
| Update 1945 local (2345 GMT) - A tweet from the Windies Cricket Board confirms that the second interval, i.e. Supper break has been taken in Barbados. With the rain still making its presence felt, the officials thought it wise to opt for the interval now. There is an inspection scheduled half an hour from now. Let's hope for some favorable news then. Here's a recap of the session... |
| In the period of play after Tea, Windies lost just the sole wicket of Shai Hope. Kasun Rajitha impressed with his pace and discipline and he was rightly rewarded with the scalp. It was yet another phase where the hosts would be left thinking over their decision at the toss. Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich are amidst a 35-run stand now. They would love to put up a big one. With the form they have displayed recently, one can't rule out that happening. That's all we have for now, hope to be back wit |
| ... DAY ONE, SESSION THREE ... |
| Update 2030 local (0030 GMT) - There was an inspection scheduled at 2015 local time but it has been pushed back to 2045. The reason thereof is still unclear. We'll keep you posted. |
| Update 2100 local (0100 GMT) - Rejoice, refresh, recharge! The rain has eased off as a result of which, the game at Kensington Oval will resume in the next 15 minutes. So, get set to witness some riveting, rain-less (hopefully) action soon. |
| Cricket! Finally. It's time for resumption after what was a very long delay. Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich were holding fort nicely before they were forced off. Has that sapped the momentum off them? We'll find out shortly. Remember, this is the night session, one where the seam bowlers are expected to get greater assistance. For now, Dilruwan Perera will complete his over. A slip and a short leg in place. |
| 33.4 : D Perera to Dowrich, Flighted outside off, defended off the front foot down the pitch. |
| 33.5 : D Perera to Dowrich, Tossed up once again, blocked back to the bowler. |
| 33.6 : D Perera to Dowrich, Gets behind the line and keeps it out to end what could be one of the longest overs in the history, courtesy the long break. |
| Lahiru Kumara to steam in from the other end. |
| 34.1 : L Kumara to Holder, FOUR! Zip straightaway for Kumara! Lands it on a short length slanting in, it skidded off the surface. Holder manages to get a glove on it and the ball races away to the fine leg fence. |
| 34.2 : L Kumara to Holder, An appeal to no avail. The inward movement on this one means that the ball moves in after landing and beats the defensive bat of Holder. Raps him on the front pad which makes the Lankans go up in an appeal. Height was the factor and hence, it is turned down. |
| 34.3 : L Kumara to Holder, Hurled around off, defended off the back foot. |
| 34.4 : L Kumara to Holder, Jaffa! Length ball outside off, jags back in a great deal after landing. Holder looks to play the initial line but gets cut into half as he gets beaten on the inside. He's fortunate to not inside edge that one. |
| 34.5 : L Kumara to Holder, Another good ball. Lands on a length and hits Holder above the thigh. The ball gets stuck between the thigh and his elbow then. A wry smile is the response from the bowler. |
| 34.6 : L Kumara to Holder, Full and well outside off, Holder lets it be. |
| Looking at the seamer-friendly conditions, Suranga Lakmal brings himself back on. |
| 35.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Fuller on off, blocked off the front foot. |
| 35.2 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, FOUR! Conditions favorable for seamers? Tough for batting? Dowrich thrashes all those talks along with the ball to the fence. Short in length around off, Shane swivels and pulls it all along the ground through mid-wicket. Doesn't bother running post that. Moves into the 40s now. |
| 35.3 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Fuller on the stumps, defended towards mid on from the crease. |
| 35.4 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Outside off this time, pushed towards mid off. |
| 35.5 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Calm down, lad. Sees a delivery on a length outside off, Dowrich then moves back a touch and plays a back foot punch. That he makes contact only with the air undoes all the good work. Living dangerously is the Windies keeper. |
| 35.6 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Length ball on the shorter side around off, Shane pulls it with a swivel, straight to mid-wicket. Well, it's a mistime actually. |
| 36.1 : L Kumara to Holder, Hurled on a length around off, Holder defends but ends up getting it off the outer half towards gully. |
| 0.0 : A leg slip in place now. Also, a deep square leg mans the boundary on the on side. |
| 36.2 : L Kumara to Holder, Banged short on the stumps, Holder resists playing the pull and ducks. |
| 36.3 : L Kumara to Holder, Beaten again! Landed on a length just outside off, it holds its line this time. Holder plays inside the line and gets beaten on the outside. |
| 36.4 : L Kumara to Holder, Similar delivery but closer to the line of the stumps. Jason gets behind and defends off the back foot. |
| 36.5 : L Kumara to Holder, Bumper again, JH ducks and lets it pass. |
| 36.6 : L Kumara to Holder, Length ball well outside off, Holder ensures that the stumps are covered and shoulders arms. |
| 37.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Lakmal pitches it fuller outside off, it nips in after landing. Dowrich gets it off the inner half towards mid-wicket. |
| 37.2 : S Lakmal to S Dowrich, Length ball outside off, Dowrich cuts it past point. Gunathilaka chases it down from point and makes a diving effort, keeping the batters down to just two. Not great running, opines Russell Arnold on air. |
| 37.3 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, On a length outside off, Shane gets squared up and beaten on the outside edge. |
| 37.4 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Lakmal continues to probe in that off stump channel. This one comes in after landing, leaving Dowrich clueless. Thinking it to go the other way, the keeper looks to punch it but the ball passes close to the inside edge. |
| 37.5 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Dowrich stands tall and blocks it out towards covers. |
| A third slip comes in now. |
| 37.6 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, This is well outside off, left alone. |
| 38.1 : L Kumara to Holder, Full and on the pads, flicked away to fine leg for one. |
| 38.2 : Kumara to Dowrich, Appeal again, to no avail! Around the good length area in line of the stumps, Dowrich misses the defense and gets rapped on the pads. The umpire shakes his head as the players appeal. Now Sri Lanka ponder about the review. Dickwella seems to be asking his skipper and the bowler about it to which Lakmal signals that it was high. Indeed, confirms the Hawk Eye. |
| 38.3 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Shane stands tall and defends this one. |
| 38.4 : L Kumara to Dowrich, 100 up for the Windies! Outside off, Dowrich punches it through cover-point for a brace. This stand is now 3 short of 50. |
| 38.5 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Chance? No. Dowrich misses the flick and the ball deflects off something towards the keeper. Dickwella dives to his left but fails to pouch that one. The batters take the opportunity to cross over. Leg bye signaled by the umpire. |
| 38.6 : L Kumara to Holder, This one is pushed towards covers from the crease. |
| 39.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Short length ball, pulled away to deep square leg for a single. This brings up the 50-run association between Dowrich and Holder. The duo has done well to steady the Windies ship that was rocking dangerously. Also, this is the fourth-best stand between the pair in Tests. |
| 39.2 : S Lakmal to Holder, On a length outside off, pushed off the back foot towards covers. |
| 39.3 : S Lakmal to Holder, Risky! Holder has an unnecessary flay at this length ball outside off. Just escapes narrowly nicking that one. |
| 39.4 : S Lakmal to Holder, Bowled on the stumps, defended back towards the bowler. |
| 39.5 : S Lakmal to Holder, On length around off, punched back down the ground. |
| 39.6 : S Lakmal to Holder, Punched from the crease with a straight bat to the cover fielder. |
| 40.1 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Banged short on the stumps, Dowrich ducks quickly to let it pass. |
| 40.2 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Outside off on a length, punched back straight to the bowler. Dowrich is watching the cricket ball like a football now. |
| 40.3 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Angling in on a length from wide of the crease, Shane hops across to work it to the on side. Misses and the ball goes on the bounce to the keeper. |
| 40.4 : L Kumara to Dowrich, FOUR! Dowrich is really seeing the ball nicely. Banged short outside off, Shane fetches the pull from there and hits it over mid-wicket. It's in the air for a while but harmless. Goes to the fence, taking him one short of a 50. |
| 40.5 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Defended towards point from the crease. |
| 40.6 : L Kumara to S Dowrich, 50 for Dowrich, his 7th in Tests! He becomes the first Windies keeper to score a half century in day/night Tests. Gets a length delivery around middle and leg, he looks to flick it. Ends up getting it off the glove towards square leg. He gets to the other end to get to the landmark. |
| 41.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Shane stands tall and pushes this one towards point. |
| 41.2 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Fuller on the stumps, Dowrich gets it off the inner half through backward square leg for one. |
| 41.3 : S Lakmal to Holder, Holder clips this one towards mid-wicket and rotates strike. |
| 41.4 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, On a length outside off, Shane has a feel for it but misses. |
| 41.5 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Flicked away to the on side for a single. |
| What's modesty? Jeff Dujon and Roshen Abeysinghe are on air, discussing scores of 50 or more by a Windies wicketkeeper. To that, the latter reminds the former that he had scored 4 fifties in 6 Tests against India in his playing days. To that, the former Caribbean stumper quips, 'at least someone remembers, because I don't!' |
| 41.6 : S Lakmal to Holder, FOUR! Not entirely convincing but Holder will take it. Full and just outside off, he reaches that one to play the drive. Opens his bat face, not sure if intentionally, and gets it through backward point for a boundary. The hosts are ticking along nicely now. |
| 42.1 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Four Leg byes! More runs! Perhaps the frustration on the Sri Lankan pacers is beginning to show now. Kumara bangs it short but angling down leg. Dowrich gets inside the line but fails to flick. However, the ball goes off his thigh pad and evades the keeper. |
| 42.2 : L Kumara to Dowrich, A low full toss on the stumps, flicked straight to mid-wicket. |
| 42.3 : L Kumara to Dowrich, Angling in on a length, tucked away quite comfortably through square leg for one. |
| 42.4 : L Kumara to Holder, Kumara slants it in from outside off, Holder plays forward and gets his bat down a tad late. The ball goes towards slip. |
| 42.5 : L Kumara to Holder, FOUR! Delectable! Such was the shot that comments like 'best shot of the day' and ilk are making rounds here. This is overpitched outside off, Holder's front foot comes forward, bringing down the bat expertly along with it. Meets the ball with the full phase to send it crashing through the gap between mid off and covers. Neither of them stood a chance of getting close to the ball, leave alone stopping that one. The stand moves to 71 now. |
| 42.6 : L Kumara to Holder, Length ball again, as Suranga drags his length back. Jason blocks it towards covers. |
| Dilruwan Perera is back. |
| 43.1 : D Perera to Dowrich, Flatter and shorter around middle and leg, Shane mistimes his pull. But it's enough to fetch him a single to deep square leg. |
| 43.2 : D Perera to Holder, Floated outside off, Holder lunges and defends. |
| 43.3 : D Perera to Holder, Slower through the air outside off, Jason pushes it towards covers. |
| 43.4 : D Perera to Holder, Wonderful front foot defense displayed to this one outside off. |
| 43.5 : D Perera to Holder, What happened there? Floated slower through the air, Holder looks to punch it down the ground. Misses the ball as it goes straight on. The keeper misses it as well. The slip goes to his left and catches the ball that had lobbed off the keeper's gloves. |
| 43.6 : D Perera to Holder, JH bunts this one off the front foot onto the ground. |
| Kasun Rajitha is back on. |
| 44.1 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Vicious swing on this one. Rajitha delivers it at an angle in, it lands around middle and then curves away. Dowrich gets squared up as he defends. |
| 44.2 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, FOUR! Not a great follow-up. Strays on the pads, Shane gets inside the line and looks to flick. Gets some glove to that and the ball then deflects off his thigh pads and goes away to the fine leg fence. |
| 44.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Fuller outside off, defended towards covers. |
| 44.4 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, On a length outside off, Dowrich has a feel for it but gets beaten. |
| 44.5 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Length delivery outside off, Shane stands tall and blocks it off the bottom of his blade. |
| 44.6 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Pitched further up and outside off, Dowrich is a touch late in getting his bat down. As a result, he gets beaten on the inside. |
| 45.1 : D Perera to Holder, Almost a return catch! Floated around off, Holder plays it uppishly back towards the bowler. It goes on the bounce to Perera. Perhaps the ball held up a bit on the surface. |
| 45.2 : D Perera to Holder, Flatter on the stumps, defended solidly. |
| 45.3 : D Perera to Holder, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| Now... The thing that we don't want. There's a slight drizzle around the Kensington Oval. |
| 45.4 : D Perera to Holder, Served on the stumps, Jason goes back and flicks it towards mid-wicket. |
| 45.5 : D Perera to Holder, Flatter outside off, punched through covers for one. |
| 45.6 : D Perera to Dowrich, Served on a flatter trajectory outside off, Dowrich goes deep in his crease and slaps it through covers for a couple. |
| 46.1 : K Rajitha to Holder, On a length outside off, defended to the off side from the crease. |
| 46.2 : K Rajitha to Holder, Holder stands tall and punches it towards covers. |
| 46.3 : K Rajitha to Holder, Length delivery around off, Holder sees it off watchfully towards the cover fielder. |
| Update 2217 local (0217 GMT) - Oh, oh! Rains! They're here, forcing the players off the field. They aren't too heavy, as unlike earlier, the players are trudging off and not rushing. Now, talking about speed, figure this. The centre of the field is covered quickly. Oh, speed and groundsmen. That's something. The optimist in me feels that we should be back soon. But alas, weather doesn't depend on optimism or pessimism. Well, this gives us a moment to have a glance at what happened between the la |
| The tale has been about fightback. Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder have been as resolute as a leech. The way the insect clings on to its prey, the duo has clung in the middle. The wicketkeeper batter brought up yet another half ton in the process, his third consecutive 50+ score in the first innings in this series. The latter had been largely watchful before getting the scorecard moving. Their 79 run stand, close to 3.50 runs an over stands testimony to that. About the Lankan bowlers, there's jus |
| Update 2235 Local (0235 GMT) - That's it for the day folks! It's STUMPS, DAY 1! Unfortunately, play has been called off for the day. The rain has made sure that the covers are here to stay. It has been that kind of an evening to be honest. Start-stop, start - stop, start - stop! No this isn't some game I am playing, it's the game going on in Barbados. The rain has played for more time than the two teams battling out in the middle. Since the first session in the afternoon, where just 21 overs wer |
| However, this didn't bother Sri Lankan bowlers in the first session. Suranga Lakmal laid the foundation, and Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha built on it. They picked up four wickets for 46 in that mini session and had Windies at 8-3 at one point. Their consistent probing around the off stump area meant that the second session of mere 12.3 overs was put into their kitty as well. They broke a dangerous looking partnership between Shai Hope and Shane Dowrish just before the second rain stoppage and |
| The last session started late due to wet outfield and rain. Once the action resumed, Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich batted together convincingly and stitched an unbeaten partnership of 79. The latter reached his 7th half century in the process and together with his skipper, he made sure that there were no more hiccups till the next rain interval. The play could have been extended had the rain gods shown some mercy but it wasn't to be. Out of the 90 allotted overs, only 46.3 could be bowled on Da |
| ... Day 2, Session 1 ... |
| Hello! We are back for the second day of the third and final Test match between West Indies and Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval, Barbados. After the exploits of the first day, both the teams will be itching to get into the thick of things. Even after the several rain intervals, the momentum didn't really swing to one side or the other. |
| Suranga Lakmal has led his team from the front while his partners were up to the task as well. For the Windies, Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder have held fort with an unbeaten 79-run sixth-wicket partnership. Barring the weather in Barbados, the contest should be an exciting one. Live action starts in a short while, stay tuned! |
| Darren Ganga is interviewing Shane Dowrich on the sidelines. The wicket-keeper says that it becomes easier to bat after getting in. Mentions that the talk was to have patience and bat as long as possible. Expresses that he is a good friend of Holder off the field and enjoys his company on-field as well. Feels that the pink ball does a lot under lights and he just focuses on keeping the basics right. |
| Update 1420 Local (1820 GMT) - Oh no! There is a bit of drizzle in the air and the pitch has been covered. However, Ian Bishop on air informs us that some blue skies are visible on the eastern side and so, we won't have much of a delay. |
| Pitch Report - Jeff Dujon surveys the pitch and says that on a good length area, there's a lot of grass and some grey areas just besides it. Adds that just like yesterday, there will be a lot of uneven bounce. Further says that the balls pitching on a good length area are taking off and getting big on the batters. However, adds that nothing has changed in the pitch really, it's slightly uneven. Concludes by saying that even with the unpredictable weather, there's still a chance of a result. |
| Update 1430 Local (1830 GMT) - Good news, folks! The sky is blue once again and the sun is basking in all its glory. The groundsmen are slowly taking the covers off. We should have started by now but probably, we will be back real soon. Don't go anywhere. |
| We are set to get underway. The players and the umpires are making their way to the middle. Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder will be aiming to keep the Sri Lankan bowlers at bay. Kasun Rajitha to continue his over. Here we go... |
| 46.4 : K Rajitha to Holder, Four Byes! Not the start Sri Lanka would have hoped for. Rajitha starts with a loosener down the leg side, Holder misses the flick. The ball evades the keeper and goes to the fine leg boundary. |
| 46.5 : K Rajitha to Holder, Corrects his line, bowls it on a good length around off and makes Jason play at it. Holder looks to play across but gets it from outer half of the bat but the ball goes in the gap. Two runs are taken from the cover region. |
| 46.6 : K Rajitha to Holder, The ball is too wide on the off side for Holder to make any contact. |
| The stand-in captain, Suranga Lakmal to bowl from the other end. He will be bowling into a cross breeze. |
| 47.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, On a good length around off, defended off the front foot. |
| 47.2 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Similar line and length, Dowrich comes to the pitch of the delivery and plays it to the on side for nothing. |
| 47.3 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Outside off, left alone. |
| 47.4 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Drags his length back a touch and keeps it wide of the off stump. Shane gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 47.5 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Same channel outside off from Suranga. Dowrich is happy to block it. |
| 47.6 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Touch too straight from Lakmal, angled on the pads. Dowrich swivels to play it fine but misses. |
| 48.1 : K Rajitha to Holder, Angling in from wide of the crease, on a fullish length and Holder shows the face of the bat to defend it. |
| 48.2 : K Rajitha to Holder, Keeping it tight. Around off stump and on a good length. Jason blocks it from his crease. |
| 48.3 : K Rajitha to Holder, Just outside off this time and a similar action from Holder to this one as well. |
| 48.4 : K Rajitha to Holder, FOUR! Anything that is pitched up, Holder has punished it. A half volley in his half, into the stumps and a straight high elbow, followthrough of the straight bat and ball meeting the middle of the bat. The result, four runs down the ground. Soothing to the eyes. |
| 48.5 : K Rajitha to Holder, Gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 48.6 : K Rajitha to Holder, FOUR! Ooh, that was a jaffa! This one moved and almost had Holder. Angles it in on a good length, keeps it between the sticks and Holder pushes at the ball, trying to play it across. But the outcome of the push is the leading outside edge and the ball rushes between the slip cordon and gully for a boundary. Nice probing length but Jason gets away with it. |
| 49.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, FOUR! Full on off, Dowrich gets forward and punches it down the ground. The timing is such that the ball races down the ground for a boundary. Good start for Windies this morning. 150 is up as well. |
| 49.2 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Wide outside off stump, Dowrich leaves it alone. |
| 49.3 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, On a back of length around off, blocked off the back foot. |
| 49.4 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Outside off, Dowrich lets it be. |
| 49.5 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 49.6 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Short and into the body of Shane, who gets into position quickly, swivels and dabs it to the fine leg region. One run results. |
| Sri Lanka have gone for the review. Looks high to the naked eye and the umpire seems to think that way as well. |
| 50.1 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, NOT OUT! It was too high. Desperation, eh? Pushes this one on a back of length just outside off. The batsman hops to defend it but misses and the ball raps on the top his front pad. Kasun appeals along with his team but the umpire is unmoved. After a long discussion with his bowler, Lakmal goes for the review. The Hawk-Eye rolls in and suggests that the ball was going high indeed. Sri Lanka loses both the reviews with this one. |
| 50.2 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Back of a length around off, kept out by Dowrich. |
| 50.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Similar length on the pads, Shane flicks it off his pads to the square leg region. Two runs are easily taken which brings up 100-run stand between the two. They need to continue for the sake of their team. |
| 50.4 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 50.5 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Outside off, ignored by Dowrich. |
| 50.6 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Plants his front foot down the pitch and blocks it to end the over. |
| 51.1 : S Lakmal to Holder, Jason shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 51.2 : S Lakmal to Holder, Loose shot from Holder. Gets a fuller ball outside off and he goes after it. He swings it from his crease and just flashes at it and misses. |
| 51.3 : S Lakmal to Holder, Back of a length around off and defended off the front foot by Holder. |
| 51.4 : S Lakmal to Holder, FOUR! Bangs this one in the middle of the pitch and into the ribs of Jason. He goes for the pull but the connection isn't true. However, it had enough to reach the square leg boundary. |
| 51.5 : S Lakmal to Holder, Hangs back in his crease and keeps it out to the off side. |
| 51.6 : S Lakmal to Holder, In the channel around off, Holder looks to defend it but it goes off the outer half of the willow. The ball rolls to the gully fielder. |
| 52.1 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Full on middle and off, defended off the front foot. |
| 52.2 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Similar line and length, Dowrich pushes it to mid off. |
| 52.3 : K Rajitha to Dowrich, Nice stride out from Dowrich to keep the fuller delivery out. |
| 52.4 : K Rajitha to S Dowrich, Width outside off and Shane drives it through covers off the front foot. The fielder hares after it and saves a run for his team. |
| 52.5 : K Rajitha to Holder, Holder has attempts to put bat on ball but fails. |
| 52.6 : K Rajitha to Holder, Over pitched once again Kasun, Holder forces the drive through covers from his crease. The ball goes in the gap and two runs are taken. |
| 53.1 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Stay back in his crease to the shortish delivery and blocks it out. |
| 53.2 : S Lakmal to Dowrich, Short of a length into the pads, Dowrich flicks to the leg side and changes strike. |
| 53.3 : S Lakmal to Holder, On a good length around off, defended nicely by Holder. |
| 53.4 : S Lakmal to Holder, Holder is staying back in his crease. Probably waiting for a short delivery. Lakmal is persistent around the off stump and makes him play it at from his crease. |
| 53.5 : S Lakmal to Holder, Touch fuller this time and angled into the stumps, Holder pushes it from his crease once again and gets an inside edge onto his pads. Lamkal has his hands on his head but Holder survives. |
| 53.6 : S Lakmal to Holder, Gently plays it to the mid-wicket region off the back foot for nothing. |
| Dilruwan Perera is the first change this afternoon. |
| 54.1 : D Perera to Dowrich, Tossed up delivery on middle, defended solidly off the front foot. |
| 54.2 : D Perera to Dowrich, Similar delivery, Dowrich is resolute in his defense. |
| 54.3 : D Perera to Dowrich, Drifts into the pads this time, Shane comes forward and plays it defensively to the leg side. |
| 54.4 : D Perera to Dowrich, Perera continues to use the same tactics, trying to bring the short leg in play. However, Shane is confident and blocks it with authority. |
| 54.5 : D Perera to Dowrich, Well, that one took off! Probably pitches on the rough and spins in viciously. Dowrich is surprised and just manages to fend it off to the right side of the short leg fielder. That was not far away from him. |
| 54.6 : D Perera to Dowrich, On middle and leg again, kept out watchfully towards mid-wicket. A decent start from Perera. |
| Lahiru Kumara is into the attack. |
| 55.1 : L Kumara to Holder, On a good length outside off, Holder hangs his bat in anticipation but misses. Good start for Kumara. |
| 55.2 : L Kumara to Holder, Similar length on middle and off, Holder gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 55.3 : L Kumara to J Holder, FOUR! Authoritative. That's the only word coming to my mind right now. He has hammered that. What a shot to bring up his 7th half century. It wasn't a bad ball on off stump but the full length prompted Jason to go for the full blooded off drive. Though the ball was in the air for a while, the fielder at mid off had no chance of getting anywhere near it. |
| 55.4 : L Kumara to Holder, The batsman works it down the leg side. They pick up a single. |
| Dowrich is given out LBW. He has taken the review though after some discussion with his skipper. It looks plumb but is it? Let's wait for the third umpire. |
| 55.5 : L Kumara to Dowrich, OUT! It's out! Kumara has done the job for Sri Lanka. Dowrich has to walk back. Lahiru pushes it from wide of the crease and into the stumps, Dowrich shuffles across his stumps. The ball skids after pitching and hits him on the front pad. Lahiru cries for the decision and the umpire Ian Gould has to problem in giving it out. Dowrich knew straightaway that he missed a bad one and starts walking but Holder stops him and asks him to go for the review. He obliges. The repl |
| Devendra Bishoo walks out to bat. |
| 55.6 : L Kumara to Bishoo, Back of a length around, blocked off the back foot. |
| 56.1 : D Perera to Holder, Flighted around middle and off, Holder gets forward and keeps it out. |
| 56.2 : D Perera to Holder, Similar delivery from Perera, played to the leg side by Holder. |
| 56.3 : D Perera to Holder, Another tossed up delivery from Perera around the off stump. Defended off the front foot. |
| Sri Lanka on the attack, leg slip in place now. |
| 56.4 : D Perera to Holder, The batsman has driven it straight down the ground. |
| 56.5 : D Perera to Holder, Shows the full face once again and blocks it down the pitch. |
| 56.6 : D Perera to Holder, Flatter around middle and leg, Jason flicks it fine and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| 57.1 : L Kumara to Holder, On a length on middle and leg, Holder helps it to the leg side for a tun. |
| 57.2 : L Kumara to Bishoo, Dug in short in line of the stump, Bishoo ducks under it in a jiffy. |
| 57.3 : L Kumara to Bishoo, Back of a length delivery, skidding after pitching. Devendra keeps it out watchfully. |
| 57.4 : L Kumara to Bishoo, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 57.5 : L Kumara to Bishoo, Kumara is bending his back. Bowls another short one, well-directed as well. Bishoo sits underneath it. |
| 57.6 : L Kumara to Bishoo, Tentative! On a length on middle, Bishoo is neither forward nor back. Pushes at it and ends up getting a thick inside edge besides the pitch on the leg side. |
| 58.1 : D Perera to Holder, Flatter around off, defended off the back foot. |
| 58.2 : D Perera to Holder, Pushes this one around middle and leg, Holder comes to the front foot and blocks it. |
| 58.3 : D Perera to Holder, Plants the front foot down the pitch and plays it to the off side for nothing. |
| 58.4 : D Perera to Holder, Uppish but safe. Tossed up outside off, Holder looks to drive it but stops at the end. The ball lobs in the air and towards to the cover region but safe. |
| 58.5 : D Perera to Holder, FOUR! Damn! What is pressure? Holder has no idea about this word. After four dot balls, he gets a flighted one around off. The quick feet from him gets him closer to the pitch of the delivery and he lofts it powerfully over the bowlers head. The ball bounces just inside the fence and goes to the boundary. He is keeping Windies in the contest. |
| 58.6 : D Perera to Holder, Flatter one around middle, Holder pushes it to the mid on region and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| 59.1 : L Kumara to Holder, Some chin music for Holder, he lets that bouncer through to the wicket-keeper. |
| 59.2 : L Kumara to Holder, On a length around off and defended back to the bowler. |
| 59.3 : L Kumara to Holder, Touch too full in the line of the stumps. Jason flicks it through mid-wicket region and takes a brace. |
| 59.4 : L Kumara to Holder, Wide! Bumper from Kumara but too high over Holder's head. Some exercise for the umpire. |
| L Kumara to Holder, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 59.5 : L Kumara to Holder, FOUR! A rather lucky escape again for the Windies skipper. Short and into the grille of the lanky Holder, who goes for the defensive push. The ball rises on him and gets the shoulder of his bat. It goes through backward point and races away to the boundary. |
| 59.6 : L Kumara to Holder, Gets behind the line of the delivery and keeps it out. |
| Time for a breather. Drinks has been in called by the umpire. |
| 60.1 : D Perera to Bishoo, Well bowled! Pushes this quicker through the air on off, coming in with the arm. Bishoo is a bit late to react but manages to block it. |
| 60.2 : D Perera to Bishoo, A bit shorter this time, kept out off the back foot. |
| 60.3 : D Perera to Bishoo, Drifting in once again, Devendra lunges forward in defense. |
| 60.4 : D Perera to Bishoo, Makes use of the depth of the crease and turns it to the leg side. |
| 60.5 : D Perera to Bishoo, Slower through the air this time, at 84 kph. Bishoo comes forward confidently and blocks it right under his eyes. |
| 60.6 : D Perera to Bishoo, Perera tries to catch Bishoo off guard with a quicker one. It is in line of the stumps as well. Bishoo is up to it as he camps back and dead-bats it. |
| 61.1 : L Kumara to Holder, Howzat? That looked so close in real time. Kumara once again goes wider of the crease and bowls a length delivery around off. It seams in prodigiously as Holder is caught in the crease. He tries to block it tentatively but fails to do so and is hit on the back leg. The Sri Lankans go up in unison. However, Ian Gould shakes his head. Lakmal walks up to his bowler but unfortunately, there are no more reviews left. He has a wry smile on his face. Ho ho ho! The Hawk Eye sho |
| 61.2 : L Kumara to Holder, In the zone outside off, Jason lets it go. |
| 61.3 : L Kumara to Holder, Pitched up ball outside off, played with soft hands through covers for an easy single. |
| 61.4 : L Kumara to D Bishoo, OUT! Kumara has another one! It is not Holder but he will happy that he has at least got the better of Bishoo. He comes from around the wicket and bowls a heavy ball. It pitches on a good length and straightens a bit. That is enough to induce a thick outside edge from the bat of Devendra as he pushes at it with hard hands. The ball flies towards second slip where Mendis dives to his right and takes a fine catch. |
| Kemar Roach strides out to bat. |
| 61.5 : L Kumara to Roach, On a length outside off, Roach lets it go. |
| 61.6 : L Kumara to K Roach, Full length ball, pushed off the front foot to mid on. A successful over for Kumara. |
| Rajitha is back on. |
| 62.1 : K Rajitha to Holder, Peach! This one pitches on a good length and moves away after landing. Holder plays inside the line and gets foxed completely. |
| 62.2 : K Rajitha to Holder, That one sounded sweet! Back of a length and some width on offer, Jason stands tall and just pushes it through covers. The timing is spot on and he is rewarded with a brace. |
| 62.3 : K Rajitha to Holder, FOUR! This is the right ploy from Holder! He is running out of partners. He knows that he is timing the ball nicely and he is backing himself. Tries to hit it down the ground but the ball flies off the outer half of the bat and goes over covers to roll to the fence. |
| 62.4 : K Rajitha to J Holder, Continues to bowl in the probing off stump channel and draws an outside edge but it falls short of second slip. |
| 62.5 : K Rajitha to Holder, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 62.6 : Rajitha to Holder, OUT! What a catch! No matter how many times you look at the replays, you are going to admire the effort of Dilruwan Perera. Rajitha bowls a back of a length ball outside off and gives some room to Holder. He tries to force it through the off side but the ball catches the outer half of his bat and flies towards gully. It is really traveling as well. Perera stationed there reacts in a jiffy. Dives to his left like a goalkeeper and goes for the catch with both hands. Does |
| Miguel Cummins is the new man in. |
| 63.1 : L Kumara to K Roach, Pitched up ball, pushed towards mid off. |
| 63.2 : L Kumara to Roach, Hangs back to the length ball and keeps it out. |
| 63.3 : L Kumara to Roach, Kumara is attacking the stumps but Roach is resolute in his approach. Makes use of the depth of the crease to block it away. |
| 63.4 : L Kumara to Roach, That one almost sneaked through! Angling in prodigiously from a good length. Roach tries to defend it but is a tad late on it. Ends up getting it off the inner half of the bat towards square leg. A run taken. |
| 63.5 : L Kumara to Cummins, In the corridor of uncertainty, Cummins points his bat skywards to allow it through. |
| 63.6 : L Kumara to Cummins, Speared in on a full length on middle and leg, Miguel plays it defensively to the leg side. |
| 64.1 : K Rajitha to Roach, On a fuller length on off, Roach opts to stay back and block it. |
| 64.2 : K Rajitha to Roach, The batsman fails to put bat on ball. |
| 64.3 : K Rajitha to K Roach, Where did that come from? That one took off like a plane. Jeff Dujon mentioned in the pitch report that the good length area is the one from where some balls can bounce a lot or some can even keep low. Rajitha bowls this one on the same area and extracts alarming bounce from there. Roach is caught in a tangle. He takes his eyes off the ball and attempts to fend it away but is hit on the gloves. The ball lobs towards point and falls down safely. That must have surely s |
| 64.4 : K Rajitha to Roach, Hangs back to the short of a length delivery and defends it towards the vacant short leg region. |
| 64.5 : K Rajitha to Roach, This is some serious stuff! Once again, Roach takes a blow on the gloves. This one lands on a length and takes off again. Roach tries to come forward but is taken aback by the bounce. The ball deflects off his gloves and rolls towards backward square leg. A run taken. Ominous signs for Sri Lanka, this is not an easy track to bat on. |
| 64.6 : K Rajitha to Cummins, Cummins pokes at a length delivery but gets beaten. |
| 65.1 : L Kumara to Roach, Fuller length ball, shaping in sharply. Roach should have been forward to that but the disconcerting bounce on a couple of balls in the previous over forces him to go back. He just manages to keep it out towards square leg and takes a run. |
| 65.2 : L Kumara to Cummins, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 65.3 : L Kumara to Cummins, Kumara bends his back and bowls a sharp bouncer. Cummins drops his wrists and lets it be. |
| 65.4 : L Kumara to Cummins, Outside off, Miguel doesn't go after it. |
| 65.5 : L Kumara to Cummins, Hostile bowling from Kumara! No let off for the No. 10 batsman. Short ball on middle and leg, Cummins drops his wrists, arches his back and makes a good leave. |
| 65.6 : L Kumara to Cummins, Another short ball, this time outside off. Pretty harmless and Cummins lets it go. |
| 66.1 : K Rajitha to Roach, FOUR! Poor delivery and duly punished! Short and width on offer, Roach frees his arms and slaps it through point for a rocketing boundary. These are handy runs for the hosts. |
| 0.0 : The third slip has moved out after the boundary and a deep point is in place now. Not the right ploy I feel. There are two tailenders batting. |
| 66.2 : K Rajitha to Roach, As soon as the third slip was moved out, a ball goes through the same region. When a tailender is batting, there are bound to be false strokes. This one straightens from a length and catches the outside edge of Roach's bat. A couple of runs result. |
| 66.3 : K Rajitha to Roach, Fuller ball on middle and leg, tucked to the leg side for a run. |
| 66.4 : K Rajitha to Cummins, Now, this one has kept low. It pitched on the same good length area but this time it didn't have extra bounce. Cummins pushes at the delivery but the ball goes past his bat and bounces before reaching the keeper. The two-paced nature of the track is on display. |
| 66.5 : K Rajitha to Cummins, Outside off, left alone. |
| 66.6 : Rajitha to M Cummins, In the air... but safe! Shortish ball on off, Cummins goes for the big pull across the line but gets a top edge and the ball goes behind the keeper. The keeper and the slip fielders run after it. The fielder from fine leg also runs to his left but the ball falls in no man's land. Tough luck! A run is taken. That brings up the 200 for the Windies. |
| 67.1 : L Kumara to Cummins, On a length outside off, Miguels lets it go. |
| 67.2 : L Kumara to Cummins, Almost a replica of the previous delivery and the result is the same. |
| 67.3 : L Kumara to Cummins, A play and a miss! Outside off, Cummins fishes at it and gets beaten. |
| 67.4 : L Kumara to M Cummins, Edged but safe! In the corridor of uncertainty, Cummins has a tame push at it and gets an outside edge. He has played that with soft hands and hence, the ball falls short of second slip. |
| 67.5 : L Kumara to Cummins, Full length ball attacking the stumps, pushed off the front foot to mid off. |
| 67.6 : L Kumara to Cummins, On a length on middle and leg, turned through square leg for a run. |
| Dilruwan Perera returns for a bowl. |
| 68.1 : D Perera to Cummins, OUT! A soft dismissal! The bowling change has paid dividends with immediate effect. Perera comes from around the wicket and tosses this one up generously. The ball drifts in towards Cummins. He comes forward and tries to block it down the pitch but the ball takes the inside edge of Cummins' bat and lobs towards short leg. Kusal Mendis stationed there accepts it gleefully. |
| 0.0 : Shannon Gabriel is the last man in. |
| 68.2 : D Perera to Gabriel, Tossed up ball on middle and leg, Shannon lunges forward in defense. |
| 68.3 : D Perera to Gabriel, Another loopy delivery, Gabriel once again comes forward in defense. He is not one to hang out, let us see for how long he remains patient. |
| 68.4 : D Perera to Gabriel, As expected, he goes for the big shot. Outside off, Gabriel throws his bat at it but mistimes it over covers. Gets away with it and manages to get off the mark with a couple. |
| 68.5 : D Perera to Gabriel, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 68.6 : D Perera to Gabriel, Floated delivery on middle and leg, Gabriel strides ahead to keep it out. |
| 69.1 : L Kumara to Roach, Good length ball, angling in, Roach answers it with a straight bat. |
| 69.2 : L Kumara to Roach, Fuller length ball outside off, played with soft hands to covers. One run is taken. |
| The fielder from square leg moves a bit in front. |
| 69.3 : L Kumara to S Gabriel, OUT! That's the final nail in the coffin! Third 4-fer for Lahiru Kumara in this series and he is absolutely elated! He steams in and bowls a back of a length ball in the tight off stump corridor. The ball moves away a touch with extra bounce. It proves too much for Gabriel as he edges it behind to Dickwella who makes no mistake. THE WINDIES ARE BOWLED OUT FOR 204! |
| A brilliant bowling performance from Sri Lanka has meant that the Windies have finished with a below-par score. However, the pair of Dowrich and Holder has given the hosts some hope. They continued to play freely this morning after they had accumulated 79-runs last night. They added 36 runs in quick time as well, with the Windies skipper, Jason Holder following the footsteps of Dowrich to score a fifty. Their contribution was 174 out of the team's 204, that tells you how well they batted on a tw |
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