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Shai Hope. (Getty Image)
Catch all the action of the third day of the second Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka through our live commentary.Day 2 Round Up:
Devon Smith battled disciplined bowling and frequent stoppages for rain to compile an unbeaten half-century as the West Indies reached 118 for two in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 253 on a truncated second day of the second Test at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Friday. Less than 43 overs were possible on a day of frequent interruptions but Smith took advantage of the opportunity to compile his first Test half-century since the opening match of the home series against England in Antigua in 2015. He resumes on the third morning, weather permitting, on 53 in partnership with Shai Hope. There has been much discussion through the region over the recall of the 36-year-old Grenadian three years after he played his last Test match. Following a double-failure in the first Test, notwithstanding a comprehensive 226-run victory for the home side in Trinidad, Smith would have been acutely aware of the attention he was attracting from critics questioning the wisdom of continuing with a player averaging less than 25 runs per innings over his previous 39 Tests. Together with opening partner Kraigg Brathwaite, he played with exaggerated care through a testing morning session when the Sri Lankan bowlers, especially their three seamers, challenged the duo under overcast skies.
Lahiru Kumara, who impressed with a seven-wicket haul at the Queen's Park Oval, again proved a handful with the pace and bounce extracted from a pitch which continues to offer assistance to the faster bowlers. Smith's only attempts at unbridled aggression came at the expense of spinner Akila Dananjaya, who was hoisted over long-on and deep midwicket for a four and a six off consecutive deliveries. When the breakthrough finally came for Sri Lanka though, it was via debutant fast-medium bowler Kasun Rajitha, who exploited Brathwaite's increasing vulnerability outside the off-stump by having him caught behind by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella for 22 after an opening stand of 59. Brathwaite was also caught behind in both innings of the first Test. Persistent showers meant only 18 overs were bowled through a frustrating final two sessions of the day, making it difficult for both teams to develop any sort of momentum in the little play that was possible. Smith found another solid partner in Kieran Powell through this stop-start period and the pair put on 56 runs for the second wicket with the opening batsman reaching the half-century mark, just the eighth 50-plus innings in a Test career which started in 2003 against Australia in Guyana. Kumara finally got his long overdue reward just before bad light ended play when he removed Powell for 27 via a good low catch by Kusal Mendis at second slip. More showers are forecast through the weekend but the West Indies will again be looking to Smith to continue his sheet-anchor role in the quest to overhaul Sri Lanka's first innings total with the intention of putting themselves in a series-winning position in the latter stages of the match.
Commentary (West Indies innings)
56.1 S Lakmal to Smith, No run. 150/3
Sri Lanka review an LBW decision against Devon Smith. It looks really high to the naked eye. However, are we in for a surprise?
55.6 A Dananjaya to Chase, Another one that goes past the defense of Chase to strike him on the pads. 150/3
55.5 A Dananjaya to Chase, On middle and off, spinning in nicely. Chase leans ahead to block it but misses to get hit on the pads. 150/3
55.4 A Dananjaya to Chase, Wide down the leg side, the batsman leaves it alone. 150/3
55.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, Coming in with the arm, tucked with the angle through mid-wicket for a single. 150/3
55.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, Straighter one from Akila outside off. Smith watches it closely and lets it go. 149/3
55.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, On a flatter trajectory around off, punched off the back foot towards extra cover. 149/3
54.6 S Lakmal to Chase, Short delivery but is down the leg side. Chase ducks under it in a jiffy. A productive over for Lakmal. 149/3
54.5 S Lakmal to Chase, Outside off, left alone. 149/3
54.4 S Lakmal to Chase, Hangs back to the length ball and defends it nicely. 149/3
Roston Chase walks out to bat.
54.3 S Lakmal to S Hope, OUT! Lakmal delivers straightaway! Much-needed wicket for the visitors and they are ecstatic. He steams in and bowls a shortish ball on off. The line is such that Shai Hope has to play at it. He does play at it but is in an uncomfortable position. An outside edge is induced. Dhananjaya de Silva at first slip is cool as a cucumber and pouches it safely. The hosts are still 104 runs behind. 149/3
54.2 S Lakmal to Hope, In the zone outside off, left alone. 149/2
54.1 S Lakmal to Hope, Back of a length ball around off, Hope hops and blocks it right under his eyes. 149/2
Suranga Lakmal comes into the attack. Meanwhile, umpire Ian Gould inspects the condition of the ball to ensure that it is not being misused.
53.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, On middle and leg, clipped nicely through mid-wicket for a brace. 149/2
53.5 A Dananjaya to Smith, Sits deep in the crease to this one and keeps it out watchfully. 147/2
53.4 A Dananjaya to Hope, Loopy delivery from Akila as the batsman milks it down to long on for a single. 147/2
53.3 A Dananjaya to Hope, Nervy! Shorter in length, spinning in. Hope is not decisive with his footwork but somehow defends it on the track. 146/2
53.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, This time he is able to get it past the same side of the bowler through mid on. A run taken. 146/2
53.1 A Dananjaya to D Smith, Tossed up ball, drifting in. Smith is on the move as he pushes it towards the left side of the bowler. 145/2
52.6 L Kumara to Hope, Oh my goodness! That kept alarmingly low. Good length ball outside off, doesn't bounce at all as Hope tries to defend it off the back foot but gets foxed. 145/2
52.5 L Kumara to Hope, Length ball outside off, seaming in after landing. Shai shuffles back and across to block it nicely. 145/2
52.4 L Kumara to Hope, Good length ball outside off, left alone. 145/2
52.3 L Kumara to Hope, FOUR! Exquisite! Kumara tries to surprise Hope with a yorker but ends up overpitching it outside off. It is in the zone for the right-hander. He leans ahead and caresses it through covers to find the fence. 145/2
52.2 L Kumara to Hope, Straying on the hips, Hope tucks it nicely through backward square leg. Some work for the fine leg fielder to his left and he does well to keep it down to a couple. 141/2
52.1 L Kumara to Hope, Shaping in sharply on a good length, defended nicely with a straight bat. 139/2
51.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, In line of the stumps, played with soft hands towards mid on. 139/2
51.5 A Dananjaya to Hope, On a fuller length, some extra bounce there. Hope tucks it past leg gully for a single. 139/2
51.4 A Dananjaya to Hope, FOUR! A valiant effort goes in vain. Tossed up ball on a full length outside off, Hope slices it through point. Kumara hares after it, slides near the fence but fails to keep the ball in play. 138/2
51.3 A Dananjaya to Hope, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. 134/2
51.2 A Dananjaya to D Smith, Full delivery, knocked down through mid on to rotate strike. 134/2
51.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Shorter in length, kept out nicely. 133/2
50.6 L Kumara to Hope, Full length ball attacking the stumps, Hope does well to block it down the pitch. An aggressive over from Kumara comes to an end. 133/2
50.5 L Kumara to Hope, A pretty well-directed bouncer directed towards the body. Hope sits under it in a flash. 133/2
50.4 L Kumara to Hope, Back of a length ball, defended from within the crease. 133/2
50.3 Kumara to Hope, That was a lethal, lethal delivery! Could have well gone through the defense. Pinpoint yorker, a toe crusher at 143 kph. Hope is alert to it and just about jams it out but loses his balance after that. Kumara appeals for an LBW but the umpire stays put. The replays show that it clearly came off the bat. 133/2
50.2 L Kumara to Hope, Shortish ball outside off, shaping in. Shai Hope hops and keeps it down towards gully. 133/2
50.1 L Kumara to Smith, Leg bye! Fuller in length around middle and leg, Smith tries to clip it across but the ball brushes his pads and rolls towards square leg. A run taken. 133/2
49.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, Quicker one outside off, driven crisply towards wide mid off for a brisk single. 132/2
49.5 A Dananjaya to D Smith, Fullish in length on middle, clipped away to mid on. 131/2
49.4 A Dananjaya to Smith, Strides forward to this one and tucks it away to square leg. 131/2
49.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, Similar line and length from Akila. The southpaw leans ahead and defends it tentatively towards the vacant short leg region. 131/2
49.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, Drifting down the leg side, Smith tries to help it away but misses. 131/2
49.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, On middle and leg, played defensively towards the leg side. 131/2
48.6 L Kumara to Hope, Fuller in length and on the pads, clipped nicely through mid-wicket for a couple. 131/2
A leg slip comes into place.
48.5 L Kumara to Hope, Ooh, that was awkward! Hope misjudged the length there. Short of a length ball, takes off after pitching. Hope is caught in a tangle as he tries to evade it but is hit on the arm. 129/2
48.4 L Kumara to Hope, Good length ball, defended solidly off the back foot. 129/2
48.3 L Kumara to Hope, Good fielding! Length ball around off, Hope comes forward confidently and drives it crisply towards short cover where Perera dives to his right and makes a really good stop. His teammates run towards him and pat him on his back. 129/2
48.2 L Kumara to Hope, This is a good channel. Goes wider of the crease again and lands it in the avenue of apprehension. Good seam presentation from the bowler, it allows him to generate a good amount of inward seam movement. Shai Hope shuffles a touch and makes a good leave. 129/2
48.1 L Kumara to Hope, Kumara bends his back again and bowls this one on a back of a length outside off. Hope arches his back and lets it go. 129/2
47.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, Straying on the pads this time, played tentatively towards leg gully. Dananjaya starts off his day with a maiden. 129/2
47.5 A Dananjaya to D Smith, Drifting in again, played with soft hands towards mid on. 129/2
A leg gully in place now. That is a good field position considering the amount of drift Dananjaya is getting.
47.4 A Dananjaya to Smith, Coming in with the arm, tucked with the angle towards short fine leg. 129/2
47.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, Pitched right up to the batsman as he lunges forward in defense. 129/2
47.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, A little bit of drift on that one, going down the leg side. Devon tries to help it away but misses. 129/2
47.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Tossed up ball on a fullish length on off, Smith leans ahead and defends it nicely. 129/2
Akila Dananjaya to roll his arm over now.
46.6 L Kumara to Hope, Short of a length around off, played with an angled blade towards backward point. 129/2
46.5 L Kumara to Hope, Lahiru Kumara is looking in good shape and is really bending his back. He goes wider of the crease and angles in a back of a length ball. There is some extra bounce on offer. Hope tries to cover the line but the ball flies past the outside edge of his bat. 129/2
46.4 L Kumara to Hope, Shai makes use of the depth of the crease and blocks this one with authority. 129/2
46.3 L Kumara to Hope, On a driveable length outside off, this time Shai Hope strides forward confidently and defends it right under his eyes. 129/2
46.2 L Kumara to S Hope, Fractionally overpitched outside off, Hope leans into it and eases it through cover-point. The fielder from the point region runs after it and keeps it down to a couple. 129/2
46.1 L Kumara to Hope, Length ball, shaping in, tucked with a closed bat face towards mid-wicket. 127/2
45.6 S Lakmal to Smith, Shaping in substantially from a back of a length, left alone. 127/2
45.5 S Lakmal to Smith, In the corridor of uncertainty, the opener shuffles a touch and blocks it with a straight bat. 127/2
45.4 S Lakmal to Smith, Two Byes! Similar length ball outside off, stays a bit low. The southpaw lets it go. Dickwella fails to collect it cleanly as the ball rolls behind. A couple of runs are taken. 127/2
45.3 S Lakmal to Smith, Good length ball well outside off, Devon doesn't fiddle with it. 125/2
45.2 S Lakmal to Smith, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. 125/2
45.1 S Lakmal to Hope, Straying on the hips, turned towards mid-wicket for a run. 125/2
Suranga Lakmal to bowl from the other end.
44.6 L Kumara to Smith, Short of a length ball on middle and leg, Devon hops and tucks it to the leg side. 124/2
44.6 L Kumara to Smith, No ball! Kumara continues to bowl short but this one is too high. No ball signaled for height. 124/2
Umpire Ian Gould is having a discussion with Dickwella. He is not happy with the way Dickwella was appealing. The replays show that once Smith left the crease, the keeper threw the ball on the stumps.
44.5 L Kumara to Smith, Another short ball, Devon ducks under it in a jiffy. After that, the batsman went out of the crease to do some gardening. Seeing that, Dickwella hits the stumps at the striker's end and appeals but the umpire doesn't go upstairs. 123/2
44.4 L Kumara to Smith, A fierce start from Kumara! Geez, that one took off. Short ball aimed towards the body, Smith shapes for the pull but leaves it at the last moment. The bowler gives him a stare. 123/2
Looks like play will start shortly. The umpires have put in the stumps. Yes, we are going to get rolling. Devon Smith is on strike and Lahiru Kumara will bowl to him. Here we go...
The coach, Chandika Hathurusingha has come down to the ground and is seen conveying something to his players. The entire support staff joins in as well. This is getting really frustrating.
The Sri Lankan players are slowly trudging off the field. This is turning into a very serious issue. Their team manager is talking on the phone, perhaps getting some instructions from the Sri Lankan cricket board. The waiting game continues.
Here they come, in a reluctant manner. The fourth umpire is waiting with a box full of balls. It has been finally decided. Lahiru Kumara to steam in with it. Here we go... Chandimal still isn't happy and has an intense conversation with Aleem Dar. Ian Gould joins in as well. The Sri Lankan team manager is discussing something with Javagal Srinath near the dressing room.
Finally, the action is set to get underway. Seems like sanity has prevailed. Devon Smith and Shai Hope walk out to bat. Ian Bishop on air mentions that there is a confirmation that the ball will be changed. The Windies will have a choice regarding which one should be used. A 5-run penalty has also been enforced on Sri Lanka as the umpires feel that they have altered the condition of the ball. However, the away side will be protesting the decision on all fronts. The umpires are still waiting for the visiting team to come out.
Update 1040 Local - We are hearing that play is scheduled to begin in about 10 minutes. Let us hope there are no further delays.
Update 1000 Local - Still no official word as to when the game will begin. Whatever the issue might be, the officials should ensure that the match functions in a smooth manner.
Meanwhile, Ian Gould and Aleem Dar are leaving the field. Seems to be a serious issue. Hopefully, the complication will be sorted out soon.
Bizarre! The entire Sri Lankan team hasn't come out still while the two umpires are waiting in the middle. The Lankan manager is having a serious conversation with the match referee, Javagal Srinath in the dressing room. As we can see on the screen, there is a replay from yesterday which is being shown. Dhananjaya de Silva had the ball with him and was seen shining it. Umpire Ian Gould asked him to show his hands and then had a grim look on his face. Might be a case of the condition of the ball being changed. We are still speculating.
As scheduled, we are on time for the early start. It is good to see a lot of young kids in the stands who are waiting in anticipation for the game to begin. Out come the umpires. Well, there is a little delay. The umpires feel that there is a need to change the ball. Dinesh Chandimal in the dressing room doesn't seem to be happy with it.
PITCH REPORT - Jeff Dujon assessing the track says that there is still a fair amount of green grass on it and there is moisture down there. Adds that the surface is really firm but also mentions that there are a few spots in the good length area from where the ball might take off.
The Windies, on the other hand, are in a pretty comfortable position. Playing some sensible cricket will be their goal. They will be wary that losing a few quick wickets might land them in a tricky situation. You need to fight for every inch in the longest format of the game. Expect an absorbing day of Test cricket.
Hello and a warm welcome to the coverage of Day 3. Clear blue skies greet us at the moment. All eyes will be on the weather as there were continuous interruptions yesterday due to the rain. Be assured that there will be assistance for the pacers on a surface which is already posing uncertainties due to its two-paced nature. However, discipline and consistency is the need of the hour for the visiting bowlers and they need to execute their plans with needle-like precision if they are to threaten the opposition.
... Day 3, Session 1 ...
So, we have got news that there will be a half an hour early start tomorrow to make up for the lost overs due to the showers. Another stop-start day is on the cards but let us hope that the rain gods show some mercy. Will the Windies continue to hold the upper hand? Or will the Sri Lankans make an inspirational comeback? Join us on Saturday at 0930 Local (1330 GMT) to catch all the action. Till then, cheers!
Devon Smith is being interviewed on the sidelines. He says that he is familiar with the conditions, knows this pitch better, the bounce and pace. Adds that leaving deliveries outside off and shot selection was good. Further explains that he went after the spinners to take some pressure off his shoulders because the pacers were keeping it tight. Concludes by saying that tomorrow's plan is simple, just bat and bat as long as possible.
Another day which has gone in favour of the home side. They did lose Kieran Powell at the closing stages of play but will be happy with the way they have batted so far. There were intermittent periods of rain after the Lunch break but credit to the hosts for playing sensibly on a surface which had spiced up. They only trail by 135 runs and have a lot of batting to come. The Sri Lankans tried their best with the ball but were not as consistent as they would have liked. Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara took a wicket apiece. The visitors will need to keep on chipping away at the wickets if they are to come back into the contest.
The umpires have once again got together and have instructed the players to go off the field. Seems like that will be Stumps on Day 2 but we will wait for the official word. Yes, the confirmation has come in. IT IS STUMPS ON DAY 2!
44.3 L Kumara to Smith, Back of a length outside and the left-hander goes back to his usual self and doesn't go after it. 118/2
The umpires, Aleem Dar and Ian Gould are having a conversation. The concern is about the light as two fast bowlers are operating in tandem.
44.2 L Kumara to Smith, Kumara targets him with the short incoming delivery and Devon slaps it hard from his crease. The ball is hit with power but straight to the fielder at short mid-wicket. Nothing to show for the good shot. 118/2
Two gullies in place now.
44.1 L Kumara to Smith, No, no, no! Lapse in concentration perhaps? Smith has been consistent with not going after the short and wide deliveries but couldn't hold back this time. Lucky for him, the ball misses his edge. 118/2
43.6 K Rajitha to Hope, Gets one in his half and drives it through covers off the front foot for two. 118/2
43.5 K Rajitha to Hope, OOH! Much more closer to Hope but still no edge. The new batsman has survived, barely. 116/2
43.4 K Rajitha to Hope, In the same corridor of uncertainty outside off and the batsman holds his bat close to his body and doesn't flirt with danger. The ball thuds into the keeper's gloves. 116/2
43.3 K Rajitha to Smith, Leg Bye! Hits the deck and angles it into the batsman but it is too straight. Hits him on his thigh pad and one run stolen from the leg side. 116/2
43.2 K Rajitha to Smith, On a shortish length outside off and Smith lets it pass. 115/2
43.1 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 115/2
42.6 L Kumara to Hope, Back of a length around off and Hope chooses to leave it. 115/2
42.5 L Kumara to Hope, On a similar short of a length and jags back in sharply. Hope keeps his willow away from the line and lets it be. 115/2
42.4 L Kumara to Hope, Short of a length and left alone by the batsman. 115/2
42.3 L Kumara to Hope, A play and a miss. Similar length around off and Shai plays for the line but misses as the ball goes past the outside edge. 115/2
42.2 L Kumara to Hope, Back of a length angled into the batsman, takes extra bounce off the pitch and hits high on Hope's bat. 115/2
42.1 L Kumara to Hope, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 115/2
41.6 K Rajitha to Smith, Well outside off and left alone. 115/2
41.5 K Rajitha to Smith, On a good length once again and Smith gets forward to defend it but gets hits on the splice. 115/2
41.4 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 115/2
41.3 K Rajitha to Smith, On a length outside off, pushed off the back foot by Smith. 115/2
41.2 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. 115/2
41.1 K Rajitha to Smith, Smith lets the ball go outside his off stump. Touch close to the off stump but a good leave in the end. 115/2
Shai Hope strides out to bat.
40.6 L Kumara to Powell, OUT! Gone! Kumara has his man. He has been a bit wayward at times but has managed to bowl a peach when required. Changes the angle once again, goes 'round the wicket. He lands it on a fullish length and gets it to seam away from the pitch. Powell pushes at the ball tentatively with his front foot still in the air and weight not going into the shot. He gets a thick outside edge and Kusal Mendis from second slip dives across to his right in front of first slip and takes a very good catch. Excellent stuff from the bowler and equally well-supported by the fielding department. Windies lose their second wicket and the dangerous looking 56-run partnership has been broken. The hosts trail by 138 runs. 115/2
40.5 L Kumara to Powell, Back of a length, on his hips, tucked away straight to the short square leg fielder. 115/1
40.4 L Kumara to Powell, Tries to bowl a yorker but dishes out a low full toss. The batsman gets it to the leg side from the inside half. 115/1
40.4 L Kumara to Powell, Wide! Unusual bounce. Too high to worry the batsman! Wide signalled by the umpire. 115/1
40.3 L Kumara to Powell, Changes his angle and goes over the wicket to use the short ball better. Digs one in into the body of Powell who does well to sway away from the line and leave it for the keeper. 114/1
40.2 L Kumara to Powell, Touch short this time and fended from his crease with a straight bat. 114/1
40.1 L Kumara to Powell, Around the wicket, angling into the stumps from the good length and blocked by the batsman. 114/1
39.6 K Rajitha to D Smith, Nice positive stride from Smith. A fuller one around off and driven off the front foot through covers for a couple. 114/1
39.5 K Rajitha to Smith, Comes again with the angle from back of a length. The batsman gets his bat up and plays it down from his crease. 112/1
39.4 K Rajitha to Smith, Too wide to entice the batsman with a shot. 112/1
39.3 K Rajitha to Powell, Effort ball into the ribs of Kieran who tucks it to the vacant mid-wicket region. One run added to the total. 112/1
39.2 K Rajitha to Powell, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through outside his off stump. 111/1
39.2 K Rajitha to Powell, Wide! Too wide and out of the reach of the batsman. Wide signalled by the umpire. 111/1
39.1 K Rajitha to Smith, Back of a length and that slinging action takes it to the leg stump, the batsman flicks it to square leg and changes strike. 110/1
Kasun Rajitha to bowl from the other end.
38.6 L Kumara to Powell, And this one passes close to the outside edge. Excitement straightaway after the extended Tea break. Back of a length and angling into Powell, the ball lands on the seam and moves away a touch to square the batsman up. He tries to defend it but is beaten all ends up. 109/1
38.5 L Kumara to K Powell, FOUR! Bang! Right out of the screws from Powell. He gets a full delivery around off and creams it off the front foot through extra cover. Positive stuff from him and that also brings up the 50-run stand between the two. 109/1
38.4 L Kumara to K Powell, OOH! Arches his back and extracts some extra bounce from short of a length. Powell does well to ride it and keep it down. 105/1
38.3 L Kumara to Powell, Pulls his length back and brings it in from the seam and the batsman lets it be outside his off stump. 105/1
38.2 L Kumara to K Powell, Starts with a yorker post break. The batsman digs it out to mid on. 105/1
The umpires and the players are out in the middle. Play has been extended till 1830 Local time. It will be a tricky period for the hosts. Sri Lanka will be aiming to make optimum use of the helpful conditions. Kieran Powell is the man on strike as Lahiru Kumara begins the proceedings after the break.
Update 1715 Local - The final inspection of the day has worked out well. The official word is that the match is set to resume in 10 minutes. Should be an interesting passage of play.
Update 1655 Local - After the rain eased off, the inspection took place but it hasn't gone according to plan. The umpires feel that the outfield is still not suitable enough to have a final burst of play. They have scheduled another inspection in about 20 minutes provided there is no more interruption. Be with us.
... Day 2, Session 3 ...
The rain has come down thrice in this session forcing the umpires to call for an early TEA ON DAY 2! The Windies continue to hold the upper hand at this stage. Only 13.1 overs have been possible post Lunch and the hosts haven't lost any more wickets. From the away side's perspective, it has been Lahiru Kumara who has kept the batsmen on their toes but hasn't been able to provide the breakthrough. Devon Smith has gone past a fifty while Kieran Powell is playing the perfect foil for him. The visitors need to find a way to put some pressure on the opposition. Let us keep our fingers crossed so that there are no further shower halts in the evening session.
Update 1600 Local - Another stoppage due to rain. When it rains, it pours and that's what is happening in St Lucia since Lunch. It almost feels like someone up there is holding a remote in his hand and pushing the button to open the floodgates, whenever it amuses him.
38.1 L Kumara to Powell, Another bouncer from Kumara. Powell sits under it in a jiffy. 105/1
37.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, Slips in a googly. Smith reads it off the pitch and pushes it back to the bowler. 105/1
37.5 A Dananjaya to Smith, The batsman flicks it away with a wristy shot. 105/1
37.4 A Dananjaya to Smith, Straighter one from Akila as Smith clips it towards mid-wicket. 105/1
37.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, Short and room on offer, cut away to covers. 105/1
37.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, Tentative! Coming in with the arm, Smith leans ahead to defend but only manages to do so with the inner half of the bat. 105/1
37.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Wide outside off, left alone. 105/1
36.6 L Kumara to Powell, Beaten convincingly! Back of a length outside off, seams away substantially after pitching. Powell tries to cover the line but he is nowhere close to it. 105/1
36.5 L Kumara to Powell, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. 105/1
The umpires again have a look at the ball. They are passing it through the 8-shaped gauge but it is fine to continue.
36.4 L Kumara to Powell, Not Out! No, there is no edge! Sri Lanka waste a review. Back of a length ball in that tight off stump channel. It is coming in initially but seams away after landing to go past the hanging bat of Smith. There is an appeal from the Sri Lankans but nothing from the umpire. Chandimal decides to take the DRS anyway. Time for the replays. The Ultra Edge doesn't detect anything. 105/1
Sri Lanka feel that they have Kieran Powell caught behind and challenge the decision. The body language of Chandimal is confident. Is there an edge?
36.3 L Kumara to Smith, 7th Test fifty for Devon Smith! It has been a good knock from him so far and he will be eyeing a big one. Shortish ball on middle and leg, he pulls it away to square leg for a single. Raises his bat towards the scanty crowd and gets the applause from them. 105/1
36.2 L Kumara to Smith, Short delivery, Devon ducks under it. 104/1
36.1 L Kumara to K Powell, An appeal for an LBW denied! Coming in with the angle from outside off, Powell tries to defend it but gets an inside edge onto his pads. 104/1
35.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, Close! Some nerves on display. Coming in with the arm and skidding through after pitching. Smith should be forward to that one but opts to hang back. Is late to bring his bat down but the inside edge onto his pads saves him. 103/1
35.5 A Dananjaya to Powell, Tossed up ball, Kieran drives it with the angle through mid on and takes a run. 103/1
35.4 A Dananjaya to Powell, On a flatter trajectory this time, defended from within the crease. 102/1
35.3 A Dananjaya to Powell, Leans ahead confidently to this one and blocks it nicely. 102/1
35.2 A Dananjaya to Powell, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. 102/1
35.1 A Dananjaya to Powell, Powell uses his feet to this one and defends it back to the bowler. 102/1
There is a fielder at sweeper cover now after the boundary.
34.6 L Kumara to Smith, That's a jaffa! Unplayable. In the avenue of apprehension, coming in initially but moving the other way after landing. Smith has no chance but to play at it and is beaten all ends up. 102/1
34.5 L Kumara to D Smith, FOUR! Cracking shot! Fractionally overpitched outside off, Smith frees his arms and drills it through covers to find the fence. He moves to 49 with that and the Windies also go past 100 runs. 102/1
34.4 L Kumara to Powell, Length ball outside off, played with soft hands towards covers for an easy single. 98/1
34.3 L Kumara to Powell, The batsman drives the ball straight down the ground. 97/1
Russell Arnold makes a comparison between the way Smith and Powell play off the front foot. The former struggles as whenever he comes forward, his front foot is in the air, which doesn't allow him to have a solid base. While, the latter is much more assured. He gets to the pitch of the ball, his head is still and he plays with a high elbow. The opener needs to take a leaf out of his partner's book.
34.2 L Kumara to Powell, Effort ball from Kumara. Powell sits underneath it nicely. 97/1
34.1 L Kumara to Powell, Very full ball on off, shaping in, Powell covers the line and drives it crisply to mid on. 97/1
33.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, On a fullish length outside off, Devon lets it go. 97/1
33.5 A Dananjaya to Powell, On a flatter trajectory, Powell makes use of the depth of the crease to knock it down to long on. A single taken. 97/1
33.4 A Dananjaya to Powell, Gets right forward to the tossed up ball and defends it right under his eyes. 96/1
33.3 A Dananjaya to Powell, Straighter one from Akila outside off. Kieran has his stumps covered and makes an assured leave. 96/1
33.2 A Dananjaya to Powell, Spinning away from Powell as he camps back and cuts it towards backward point. 96/1
33.1 A Dananjaya to K Powell, Slow through the air on off, punched off the back foot towards mid on. 96/1
Time for spin. Akila Dananjaya to roll his arm over now.
32.6 L Kumara to D Smith, FOUR! Action straightaway after the break! Full length ball around off, asking Smith to go for an ambitious stroke. He does go at it with hard hands and only manages a thick outside edge past the slip cordon. 96/1
Good to see some bright sunshine in St Lucia as the players are ready to get underway again after a brief passage of rain. It has been that sort of an unpredictable day. Let us hope that the showers stay away till the close of play. Devon Smith will take strike as Lahiru Kumara runs in to bowl the final ball of the over.
Update 1500 Local - Play has been halted once again. Groundsmen are in the middle and covering the square with covers. Rain is predicted throughout the day. Although the strong winds can take the rain away but time will tell what it's going to be. Stay tuned for further updates.
32.5 L Kumara to Smith, In the channel outside off, left alone. 92/1
32.4 L Kumara to Smith, FOUR! Nicely controlled! Back of a length ball, angling in, Smith waits for it and plays it with an angled blade. He is able to guide it past the right side of the diving gully fielder and gets the desired result. 92/1
32.3 L Kumara to Smith, Almost, almost! Good stuff from Kumara. He lands it on a driveable length outside off and Smith obliges. However, he goes at it with minimal foot movement. The ball moves away late as well to fox him completely. Kumara has his hands on his head. 88/1
32.2 L Kumara to Smith, Back of a length outside off, an easy leave for the opener. 88/1
32.1 L Kumara to Smith, Shortish delivery around the off stump, Smith shapes for the pull but there is no timing on it whatsoever as the ball goes towards the mid-wicket fielder. 88/1
31.6 S Lakmal to Powell, Pitched up again, this time in line of the stumps, Kieran drives it crisply but the ball goes straight to the man at mid off. 88/1
There seems to be some issue with the ball as the umpires have a look at it. Well, seems to be fine to get on with it.
31.5 S Lakmal to Powell, Overpitched this time, sliced away through the point region for a couple. 88/1
31.4 S Lakmal to Smith, Easy runs on offer. Short and room on offer, Devon Smith punches it past backward point and comes back for three runs. 86/1
31.3 S Lakmal to Smith, Outside off, the opener lets it go. 83/1
31.2 S Lakmal to Smith, Close shave! This is much, much better from Lakmal. He lands it in the corridor of uncertainty and gets the ball to seam back in. Smith feels he has his off stump covered as he tries to leave it but the judgement is not that great. The ball just goes past the off stump. 83/1
31.1 S Lakmal to Powell, Fullish this time but the line is not right. It is on the pads as Powell flicks it away in front of square leg for a single. 83/1
Oh no! It has started drizzling again and the groundsmen are slowly making their way in with the covers. No wait! Scratch whatever I have written. The umpires have called back the players. It was just a passing shower as the weather has brightened up again. The play will continue.
30.6 L Kumara to D Smith, Nicely done! Fractionally overpitched just outside off, Smith shuffles across and creams it through covers to come back for a brace. 9 from the over, a good one for the Windies. 82/1
30.5 L Kumara to K Powell, Another tight one but safe in the end! Pitched up ball on off, Powell drives it quite hard towards wide mid off and calls his partner through. Chandimal moves swiftly to his right and has a shy at the bowler's end but misses. The replays show that Powell's dive ensured he would have made his crease even if that hit. 80/1
30.4 L Kumara to Powell, In the avenue of apprehension this time. The ball pitches and nips away as Kieran covers his off stump and makes a good leave. 79/1
30.3 L Kumara to Powell, Short of a length ball, leaving Powell. He shuffles a touch and plays it with soft hands towards cover-point. 79/1
30.2 L Kumara to Powell, SIX! Wow! That has really traveled, the strong wind has aided the cause. A nothing delivery from Kumara. It is short and wide outside off. Powell rises on his toes and slashes it over the point region. It is going, going and gone all the way. 79/1
30.1 L Kumara to Powell, Tight line from Kumara. It is fullish and attacking the stumps. Powell covers the line and taps it to mid on. 73/1
29.6 S Lakmal to Smith, Outside off, this one comes back in. The opener covers his off stump and lets it go again. 73/1
29.5 S Lakmal to Smith, This one pitches on a back of a length outside off and seams away. Smith shuffles across and watches it sail through to the keeper. 73/1
29.4 S Lakmal to Smith, A bit wider outside off, on a length this time, Smith points his bat skywards to leave it alone. 73/1
29.3 S Lakmal to Smith, Lakmal continues to test the opener outside the off stump. It is on a driveable length but Smith resists the temptation. 73/1
29.2 S Lakmal to Smith, Short of a length outside off, Devon shuffles across a touch and lets it go. 73/1
Change of gloves for Devon Smith.
29.1 S Lakmal to Smith, In the channel outside off, Smith lets it go. 73/1
28.6 L Kumara to Smith, Good shot! Kumara hits the deck hard. This time the ball sits up nicely for Smith. He pulls it all along the ground through mid-wicket. The rain has meant that the outfield has slowed down even more. Rajitha chases it and saves a run for his side. 73/1
28.5 L Kumara to Smith, The batsman has played it to the point region. 70/1
28.4 L Kumara to Smith, Camps back to the back of a length ball and tucks it with a closed bat face. 70/1
28.3 L Kumara to D Smith, A lot of bounce on that occasion for Kumara. Shortish ball, takes off after landing. Smith shapes for the pull but bails out at the last moment. 70/1
28.2 L Kumara to K Powell, If that was a direct hit, it would have been curtains for Powell! Poor judgement from him. Back of a length ball angling across him. He taps it towards cover-point and sets off. Dananjaya attacks the ball and aims for the bull's eye at the bowler's end but misses. Kieran was out of the crease by some margin. He gets a reprieve. 70/1
28.1 L Kumara to K Powell, FOUR! Streaky runs! Kumara bowls this one on a fullish length on off, Powell tries to power it down the ground but ends up squirting it off the outer edge. The ball goes past the gully region and races to the fence. 69/1
Lahiru Kumara to bowl from the other end.
27.6 S Lakmal to Smith, Short of a length ball well outside off, Devon remains circumspect in approach. A maiden to start with after the break. 65/1
27.5 S Lakmal to Smith, Lakmal goes wider of the crease and angles in a length ball. It is not close enough to make the batsman play. 65/1
27.4 S Lakmal to Smith, Back of a length ball around off, played with an angled bat towards cover-point. 65/1
27.3 S Lakmal to Smith, Another harmless ball, third leave in a row. 65/1
27.2 S Lakmal to Smith, Wide outside off, Smith doesn't fiddle with it. 65/1
27.1 S Lakmal to Smith, Starts off with a length ball outside off, left alone. 65/1
We are all set to begin again. There has been an adjustment in the session timings as we have lost 12 overs. The second session will be from 1430 to 1630 local. There will be a 20-minute Tea break. The final session will go on till 1800 local if the weather permits. Devon Smith and Kieran Powell to resume their innings. Suranga Lakmal to bowl first up after the break.
Update 1410 Local - The inspection has been done by the umpires. They feel that the playing conditions are good enough for the game to resume in about 20 minutes. Stay with us.
Update 1340 Local - There is some good news coming our way. The rain has stopped and the covers are coming off. There will be an inspection in 20 minutes. Be with us for further updates.
Update 1235 Local - It's drizzling! The covers are on and we are in for a delayed start to this session. The rain seems to be getting heavier by the minute. Good thing is that a strong wind is blowing across the stadium and we just hope that it takes away the rain clouds. Stay tuned, we will keep you posted.
... Day 2, Session 2 ...
The visiting bowlers bowled their hearts out. Lahiru Kumara was particularly impressive and troubled the batsmen with his pace and nip. However, it was the debutant, Kasun Rajitha who got the much-needed breakthrough at the fag end of the session with a jaffa. There is enough spice on the surface to keep the bowlers interested. Seems that there will be no respite for the batsmen. Join us shortly for the second session.
Session highlights - 25 overs, 63 runs, 1 wicket. The hosts will be happier of the two sides heading into the break. Though they haven't been able to keep the scoreboard ticking fluently, they have been resilient. The opening pair of Brathwaite and Smith struggled to counter the two-paced nature of the track and the disciplined bowling of the Sri Lankans but they did well to play sensibly to stitch a 50-run stand.
26.6 K Rajitha to D Smith, Full around off, Smith goes for a cover drive but doesn't get his bat down in time. An inside edge results in a single towards the mid on region and THAT WILL BE LUNCH ON DAY 2. 65/1
26.5 K Rajitha to Smith, Short around off and blocked off the back foot with the full face of the bat. 64/1
26.4 K Rajitha to Smith, The angle with which he is bowling from around the wicket, it is making the deliveries go down the leg side after pitching around off. This one is flicked off the pads to the square leg region and a couple of runs are added to the total. 64/1
26.3 K Rajitha to Smith, Back of a length and driven down the ground for nothing. 62/1
26.2 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. 62/1
26.1 K Rajitha to Powell, Touch too straight and on the pads, Powell flicks it and takes a single. 62/1
25.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, In line of the stumps, kept out watchfully. 61/1
25.5 A Dananjaya to Smith, Strides forward to this one and taps it to covers. 61/1
25.4 A Dananjaya to D Smith, Fuller in length, coming in with the angle, tucked to the man at mid on. 61/1
25.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. 61/1
25.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, An appeal for an LBW turned down! Coming in with the arm, Smith tries to block it but seems to have got an inside edge. The replays confirm the same. 61/1
25.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Well bowled! Tossed up around off, spinning away sharply. Smith leans ahead to defend but is beaten all ends up. 61/1
The umpires are passing the ball through the 8-shaped gauge. Seems to be fine for the moment.
24.6 K Rajitha to Powell, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. 61/1
24.5 K Rajitha to Powell, Full and on to the pads, Powell flicks it to mid-wicket and opens his account. Two runs taken. 61/1
Kieran Powell is the new man in.
24.4 Rajitha to Brathwaite, OUT! Brathwaite wastes a review! Kasun Rajitha, you beauty! This is unplayable. He has been so consistent with his angle, line and length and he gets his reward. Goes wider of the crease once again, bowls it fuller, around off and gets it to straighten from there. Brathwaite has to play at it and all he can manage on that is an edge to the keeper. He got a leading edge off the previous delivery, which was similar to this one. But this time he has no clue and even the best of the best batsman might have not been able to handle it. Rajitha is ecstatic with his first Test wicket and why shouldn't he be! Windies lose one just at the stroke of Lunch. 59/1
The Sri Lankans are already celebrating. Brathwaite has been caught behind but he opts for the review.
24.3 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Almost a wicket here. A nice pacy length delivery around off from Rajitha. The batsman wanted to go across the line but gets squared up. Leading edge is found but it doesn't reach the fielder at wide slip. 59/0
Change in field. A man from covers goes to the short mid-wicket position.
24.2 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. 59/0
24.1 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Short of a length outside off and played with soft hands to the slip cordon. Good intelligent batting from Brathwaite. 59/0
23.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, Flighted around off and driven to cover for nothing. 59/0
23.5 A Dananjaya to Smith, Misjudges the length but adjusts nicely in the end. It's a full delivery around off, Smith goes back in his crease but due to lack of pace, blocks it easily from there. 59/0
23.4 A Dananjaya to Smith, Loopy delivery around middle. Smith is happy to defend it. 59/0
23.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, Flatter one outside off and the batsman lets one through. 59/0
23.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, Touch short, the batsman goes back and blocks it off his pads. 59/0
23.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Tossed up around off, Smith plants his foot down and defends it. 59/0
22.6 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Ignores the wider delivery for the keeper. 59/0
22.5 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, The batsman defends it from within the crease. 59/0
22.4 K Rajitha to Smith, Leg Bye! Full and targets Smith's pads, who fails to put bat on ball. The ball clips his pads and rolls towards fine leg. A single results. 59/0
22.3 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 58/0
22.2 K Rajitha to Smith, Works it to the leg side for nothing. 58/0
22.1 K Rajitha to Smith, On a good length, angled into the batsman who blocks it nicely from his crease. 58/0
21.6 A Dananjaya to Brathwaite, Flatter this time, on leg and the batsman fails to make connection. 58/0
21.5 A Dananjaya to Brathwaite, Loopy delivery around off, Brathwaite comes out of his crease and defends it back to the bowler. 58/0
21.4 A Dananjaya to Brathwaite, The batsman flicks it away with a wristy shot. 58/0
21.3 A Dananjaya to Brathwaite, Gets behind the line and blocks it off the front foot. 58/0
21.2 A Dananjaya to Brathwaite, Tossed up on middle and flicked off the pads for nothing. 58/0
21.1 A Dananjaya to K Brathwaite,FOUR! Dananjaya errs in line this time and the batsman makes full use of it. Flighted outside off, Brathwaite pushes it through the empty cover region for a boundary. The fielder at mid off ran after the ball but failed to stop it. 58/0
20.6 K Rajitha to Smith, Another leave outside off to end the eventful over. 54/0
20.5 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. 54/0
20.4 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Back of a length, between the stumps, the batsman looks to play it through mid-wicket and closes the face of the bat touch too early. The ball takes the leading edge and goes into the vacant cover region. Single taken in the end. 54/0
20.3 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Gets his bat down in time and pushes it to mid on for nothing. 53/0
20.2 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Similar line and length from Rajitha and Brathwaite plays inside the line and misses. 53/0
20.1 K Rajitha to Smith, Straightaway goes 'round the wicket and troubles Smith. Serves it full, around off and enticing the left-hander to go for the cover drive, who does exactly the same thing. His angled blade comes down hard, gets the inside edge and misses the stumps. The ball goes to fine leg and one run is taken. 53/0
Kasun Rajitha is back for another spell.
19.6 A Dananjaya to Brathwaite, Goes behind and blocks it. 52/0
19.5 A Dananjaya to Brathwaite, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. 52/0
19.4 A Dananjaya to Smith, Flighted full around off and played to mid-wicket for a single. 52/0
19.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. 51/0
19.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, Touch short and the batsman taps it to point for nothing. 51/0
19.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Flighted on off, Smith gets forward and defends it. 51/0
18.6 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Yorker to end the over. Good over from Lahiru. The batsman digs it out nicely. 51/0
18.5 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Shows the full face and blocks it to the bowler. 51/0
18.4 L Kumara to Brathwaite, The batsman picked that bouncer early and let it through to the keeper. 51/0
18.3 L Kumara to Brathwaite, So close! It's a matter of inches you see. First with the DRS and now with the inside edge. Kumara serves it on a good length and brings it in to the batsman. Some extra bounce troubles the right-hander who tries to block it but it goes off the inside edge towards the keeper. That almost kissed the off pole on its way through. 51/0
18.2 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Full and on to his pads, Brathwaite flicks it straight to square leg. 51/0
18.1 L Kumara to Brathwaite, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. 51/0
17.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, Strays away to leg side but Smith fails to get any contact as the ball thuds into his pads. 51/0
17.5 A Dananjaya to Smith, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat to the loopy off break. 51/0
17.4 A Dananjaya to Smith, Flat and short and nicely flicked through the legs of the fielder at short leg. The ball goes into the gap between short mid-wicket and square leg and two runs are taken. 51/0
17.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, SIX! Bang! No half measures from Smith. Goes down the track again and reaches the flighted delivery around off. Hits across the line and the ball sails over the mid-wicket fence. Smith has shifted from first gear to fifth in a couple of deliveries. 49/0
17.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, FOUR! Another floater and Smith gives charge to it. Gets enough on it to hit it over mid-wicket. First boundary for the left-hander and he can shift gears now. 43/0
17.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Starts with a flighted delivery around off. The batsman blocks it off the front foot. 39/0
Akila Dananjaya will roll over his arm for the first time this morning.
16.6 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Blocks the shortish delivery off the back foot. 39/0
16.5 L Kumara to Brathwaite, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. 39/0
16.4 L Kumara to Brathwaite, FOUR! Yayy! Wide and full, Brathwaite taps it behind point. The ball has enough legs to go to the boundary, finally. To everyone's surprise, this is the first boundary of the Windies innings. 39/0
16.3 L Kumara to Smith, Leg Bye! Ball hits the batsman low on the pads. The batsmen have run through for a single. 35/0
16.2 L Kumara to D Smith, Short and into the body, Smith goes for the pull but fails to get good connection. The ball gets behind the diving keeper and two runs are added to the total. 34/0
16.1 L Kumara to Smith, Kumara is doing something different here. He is making both the batsmen play and is not wasting energy by bowling wider deliveries. This one lands on a good length and goes away from the left-hander after pitching, who does well to block it. 32/0
15.6 S Lakmal to Smith, Jags back in with the angle from back of a length, the batsman clips it off his hips and takes a single from the square leg region. 32/0
15.5 S Lakmal to Smith, Similar length outside off, punched to point for nothing. 31/0
15.4 S Lakmal to Smith, Short of a length and into the rib cage, Smith dabs it straight to the square leg fielder. 31/0
15.3 S Lakmal to Smith, Changes the angle again but serves it touch too wide. The batsman ignores it. 31/0
15.2 S Lakmal to Smith, Full and outside, left alone by Smith. 31/0
15.1 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Too straight on the pads and flicked to the square leg region for a single. 31/0
Time for Drinks.
14.6 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Gets fuller and on the stumps, Brathwaite drives it to the vacant wide long on region. Three runs taken. 30/0
14.5 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Short of a length and defended off the back foot by the batsman. 27/0
14.4 L Kumara to Brathwaite, OH! Where did this come from? This pitch is playing a cruel game with the batsman as well as with the bowler. The ball lands on a fullish length, around off and seams away after pitching. Brathwaite hangs his bat but fails to make any connection. 27/0
14.3 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Angled in and down the leg side again. This time, the eeper collects it cleanly. 27/0
14.2 L Kumara to Brathwaite, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 27/0
14.1 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Four Byes! Free runs for the Windies. Too straight and down the leg side and seams even more after pitching. The keeper dives to his left to stop it but fails. Welcome boundary for the hosts. 27/0
There is a bit of drizzle in the air. Let us hope it is a passing shower. The groundsmen are getting ready with the covers.
13.6 S Lakmal to Smith, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. 23/0
13.5 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Back of a length, on middle and leg, flicked to square leg for a single. 23/0
13.4 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, As soon as the ball is near the off stump area, on a short of a length, it has done something off the pitch. This one is no different but all it's missing is the edge of the batsman. 22/0
13.3 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Full around off and driven uppishly to point for nothing. 22/0
13.2 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Corrects his line but goes down the leg side. Brathwaite lets it be. 22/0
13.1 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. 22/0
12.6 L Kumara to Smith, A play and a miss to end the over. Smith is still in the middle but he isn't giving any confidence to his team. 22/0
12.5 L Kumara to Smith, Smith shoulders arms to let that one through. 22/0
12.4 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Back of a length into the stumps and the batsman gets inside the line and flicks it off his pads. One run added to the total. 22/0
12.3 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Around middle and leg and driven through to mid on for nothing. 21/0
12.2 L Kumara to Brathwaite, The batsman defends it from within the crease. 21/0
12.1 Kumara to Brathwaite, Safe! Sri Lanka do not lose a review though. Skiddy action of Kumara gets the ball to jag back in from a length and hits Brathwaite on the flap of his pad. A huge LBW appeal follows from the bowler and the fielding team. Looks so very close but Aleem Dar is unmoved. Kumara seems confident and Chandimal takes the review. The Snickometer suggests that no bat is involved. Time for the Hawk Eye. The ball hits him a bit too high and it's umpire's call in the end. Brathwaite survives a scare. 21/0
An LBW review against Kraigg Brathwaite has been taken upstairs. Height seems to be an issue.
11.6 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. One run added to the total. 21/0
11.5 K Rajitha to D Smith, Nicely done. A full delivery on the pads and played down the ground with a straight bat. The ball rolls and stops just inside the boundary line and three runs are taken. Not a bad shot eh? 20/0
11.4 K Rajitha to Smith, That angle from Kasun is troubling Smith a lot. Darts the fuller delivery in but touch down the leg side as the ball thuds into his pads. 17/0
11.3 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman has driven it straight down the ground for nothing. 17/0
11.2 K Rajitha to Smith, Shaping in, on a similar length and the batsman flicks it through mid-wicket and runs two. Some venom on these deliveries from Rajitha. 17/0
11.1 K Rajitha to Smith, OOH! Almost had him. This one comes in sharply and almost does the trick. Rajitha is maintaining the same angle to the left-hander, on a fuller length, outside off and coming in. Smith is beaten all ends up but the ball takes the inside edge of his bat before hitting his pads and that is what saves him as well. The huge LBW appeal fell on deaf ears. 15/0
10.6 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Can i say it was a repeat telecast of the previous delivery because it was. Great couple of deliveries to end the over. 15/0
10.5 L Kumara to Brathwaite, 140 kph delivery from Lahiru and it is on a beautiful channel to the right-hander. Dishes it around off on a good length and makes the batsman play at it, who complies but fails to make connection. 15/0
10.4 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Some chin music for the batsman, he lets that bouncer through to the wicket-keeper. 15/0
10.3 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Similar length and line and this one goes the other way. The batsman shoulder his arms. 15/0
10.2 L Kumara to Brathwaite, Bit of extra pace, hitting the deck hard and getting purchase off the pitch. The ball lands on a short of a length, lands around off and seams away after pitching. The batsman looks to get behind it but misses. 15/0
10.1 L Kumara to Smith, Back of a length, around off, defended from the crease to the off side. One run taken. 15/0
Lahiru Kumara is into the attack.
9.6 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, This is much better from the youngster. He runs in hard and generates some late away shape on the ball. Brathwaite shapes for the drive but sensibly lets it go. 14/0
9.5 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Well, that one kept pretty low! On a length, probably hits one of the cracks and doesn't bounce. Left alone by Kraigg. 14/0
9.4 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, The debutant needs to bowl a stump-to-stump line, percentage stuff is the need of the hour. This one is again wide outside off and the batsman doesn't fiddle with it. 14/0
9.3 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Well outside off, left alone. 14/0
9.2 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Slightly overpitched around off, Brathwaite drives it sweetly but Rajitha shows good reflexes. He dives to his left and stops it. 14/0
9.1 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, A hint of away movement from a fullish length but it is way outside off. Kraigg is not bothered by that one. 14/0
8.6 S Lakmal to Smith, Hits the deck, outside off and jagging into the batsman who blocks it easily from his crease. 14/0
8.5 S Lakmal to Smith, The batsman drives the fuller ball straight down the ground for nothing. 14/0
8.4 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Short of a length, coming into the right-hander, who tucks it to square leg. One run added to the total. 14/0
8.3 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Short delivery and the batsman ducks under it. 13/0
8.2 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Lakmal dishes this one fuller around off and Brathwaite pushes it to mid on and takes two. 13/0
8.1 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 11/0
A heavy off side field in place now. There are only two fielders on the leg side.
7.6 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. 11/0
7.5 K Rajitha to Smith, Goes around the wicket and fires in a yorker and almost goes under the bat. Smith does well to get his bat down in time and dig it out. Good stuff from the debutant. 11/0
7.4 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Similar delivery from Rajitha and nicely played through the mid-wicket region for another single. 11/0
7.3 K Rajitha to Smith, The batsman flicks the length ball to mid-wicket with a wristy shot. They pick up a single. 10/0
7.2 K Rajitha to Smith, Two Leg Byes! Full, on the pads and Smith once again fails to make contact with the ball. The ball hits his pads and goes down to fine leg region. Two runs taken. 9/0
7.1 K Rajitha to Smith, Smith defends the good length delivery from within the crease. 7/0
7.1 K Rajitha to Smith, Wide! The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. Wide signalled by the umpire. 7/0
6.6 Lakmal to Smith, A loud appeal for an LBW denied! That came in sharply. Nice mix up from the bowler. Keeps it on a good length and brings it in from outside off. Smith is late to get his bat down and is hit on his back pad. Lakmal is jumping in appeal but the umpire isn't interested. The ball goes behind the keeper and a leg bye is taken. Sri Lanka do not opt for the review and the replays suggest it would have been umpire's call as the ball would have clipped the top of the stumps. Doesn't make a difference though. 6/0
6.5 S Lakmal to Smith, Too straight and on the pads, the batsman fails to connect with his bat and it hits his pads. 5/0
6.4 S Lakmal to Smith, Similar length, outside off, Smith gets his bat up and lets it go to the keeper. 5/0
6.3 S Lakmal to Smith, Change of angle, goes around the wicket to bring the ball in to the left-hander. Lands it on a fullish length around off and makes the batsman play. Good intelligent stuff from Lakmal. 5/0
6.2 S Lakmal to Smith, Outside off and left alone on length by the batsman. 5/0
6.1 S Lakmal to Smith, Gets behind the shortish delivery and punches it down the pitch. 5/0
5.6 K Rajitha to Smith, Full and on the legs, the batsman clips it to square leg and takes a single. 5/0
5.5 K Rajitha to Smith, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. 4/0
5.4 K Rajitha to Smith, OOH! Uppish! Not too convincing from Smith. Gets a fuller delivery around off and pushes at it. The ball hits the outer half and almost flies to the point fielder. 4/0
5.3 K Rajitha to Smith, Another leave to the ball outside off. Nice and watchful stuff from Devon. 4/0
5.2 K Rajitha to Smith, Similar delivery, touch too wide. The batsman shoulders his arms. 4/0
5.1 K Rajitha to Smith, Angling away from the left-hander and on full length, Smith gets his hands up and lets it pass. 4/0
4.6 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Similar length but touch too wide to entice the batsman. No run to end the over. 4/0
4.5 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Full and outside off, Brathwaite leaves it on length. 4/0
4.4 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Wide and swinging away and ignored by the batsman. 4/0
4.3 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Drags his length back and keeps it around off. Brathwaite blocks it tentatively to the off side. 4/0
4.2 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Full and between the sticks, the batsman presents the full face of the bat. 4/0
4.1 S Lakmal to Smith, Back of a length on the pads, clipped to the vacant square leg region for a single. 4/0
3.6 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Straight outside off and Brathwaite keeps his willow away from the ball. A maiden over to start his career. 3/0
3.5 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Goes full but down the leg side. Keeper collects it neatly. 3/0
3.4 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Touch too wide and left alone. 3/0
3.3 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, On a good length around off and punched off the back foot. 3/0
3.2 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Full and outside off and almost an edge. The batsman hangs his bat but fails to make connection. 3/0
3.1 K Rajitha to Brathwaite, Starts his Test career with a short of a length delivery, angling into the batsman, who dabs it to mid-wicket. 3/0
The debutant, Kasun Rajitha comes into the attack. He will be aiming to put in an impressive performance.
2.6 S Lakmal to Smith, Ends the over with a back of a length delivery on the hips and the batsman plays it down to the leg side with soft hands. 3/0
2.5 S Lakmal to Smith, Little bit of shape, into Smith, off the good length and hits his pads. 3/0
2.4 S Lakmal to Smith, Full around off, blocked by the left-hander. 3/0
2.3 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Leg Bye! Too straight, back of a length and the batsman misses and gets hits on his thigh pad. The batsmen pinch a run. 3/0
2.2 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Similar length, outside off and fended off the back foot. 2/0
2.1 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Starts with a good length delivery and on the stumps. Brathwaite blocks it. 2/0
We are set to get underway. Kraigg Brathwaite and Devon Smith to continue their batting. Suranga Lakmal to bowl first up this morning. Three slips and a gully in place. Here we go...
PITCH REPORT - Russel Arnold assessing the surface says that the batsmen need to make use of the scoring opportunities whenever they come by. States that the shorter lengths had worked for the hosts and Sri Lanka will be aiming to hit those areas as well.
Kemar Roach is being interviewed by Darren Ganga on the sidelines. He says that it was a tough start for him but he was just trying to bowl it on line and length and that worked for him. Further adds that he is pleased with his 150th Test wicket. While talking about being 30 years old now and still playing the longest format, he states that in the start of his career he was fitter and aggressive but now he is enjoying the game more. Ends by saying that to get back in the side and lead the bowling attack is really good for him and he is enjoying it more.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, would like their bowlers to inspire something special. They would like them to use the greenish top to their advantage, and make full use of the wind blowing across the square as well. Suranga Lakmal, their most experienced bowler, needs to come good. New ball can prove to be handy, if utilized properly. Should be an exciting contest, stay tuned for the live action...
Hello and welcome to the coverage of 2nd day of the second Test match between West Indies and Sri Lanka from St Lucia. After yesterday's exploits, the Windies will be looking to enhance their dominance. Their bowlers have done a commendable job to bowl out Sri Lanka for just over 250. And it's time for their batters to come good and take the game away from the visitors.
... Day 2, Session 1 ...
The visitors were hoping for a better start to the second Test but it wasn't to be. Apart from Chandimal and Mendis to an extent, the other batsmen didn't show proper resistance. The Sri Lankan skipper scored a classy century on a demanding pitch and has given his side something to battle for. Day 2 promises to be good for the batting side but the Lankan bowlers can make things interesting by replicating their opposition's tactics. Join us on Friday at 1000 local (1400 GMT) to catch all the action. Till then, cheers!
Safely negotiated. The opening pair of the hosts required only a couple of overs to survive and they have done just that before the close of play. Earlier, it was a dominant display from the Windies' fast bowlers throughout the day. They were asked to bowl first on a green top and they made full use of the helpful conditions. Shannon Gabriel took a fifer and Kemar Roach complemented him equally well with a 4-wicket haul. The other bowlers were disciplined as well and kept a leash on the Sri Lankan batsmen.
1.6 A Dananjaya to Smith, Smith gets forward and defends the flighted delivery. THAT IS STUMPS ON DAY 1! 2/0
1.5 A Dananjaya to Smith, Tossed up on middle and leg, Smith goes back in his crease and blocks it from the full face of the bat. 2/0
1.4 A Dananjaya to Smith, Another loopy delivery and almost a yorker. The batsman digs it out. 2/0
1.3 A Dananjaya to Smith, The batsman failed to make contact and was hit low on the pads outside leg. 2/0
1.2 A Dananjaya to Smith, Tossed up on middle and blocked off the back foot by Smith. 2/0
1.1 A Dananjaya to Smith, Flighted on off and driven off the front foot to mid on for nothing. 2/0
Akila Dananjaya to share the new ball from the other end.
0.6 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Touch fuller but too wide to make Brathwaite play at it. 2/0
0.5 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. 2/0
0.4 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, In that same channel once again and the right-hander stays away from the delivery. 2/0
0.3 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Similar length around off, left alone by the batsman. 2/0
0.2 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, Too straight and down the leg side, the batsman lets it pass to the keeper. 2/0
0.1 S Lakmal to Brathwaite, West Indies are away! Lakmal starts with a short of a length delivery and Brathwaite tucks it away off his pads for a couple. 2/0
First Published: June 16, 2018, 7:19 PM IST
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