NORTH POINT (ANTIGUA), April 1: Sri Lanka trailed the West Indies by 104 runs with only two second-innings wickets in hand after the rain-affected third day of the second Test.
Only 40.3 overs were bowled on a day which saw four rain interruptions.
Sri Lanka took its score from 136-3 overnight to 250-8 in reply to the West Indies’ 354 before a final, heavy shower ended play on Wednesday.
First Test century-maker Pathum Nissanka was left 49 not out and Lasith Embuldeniya had yet to score at stumps on Day 3.
Nissanka had faced 119 balls and provided a solid anchor in the late stages of Sri Lanka’s innings.
Sri Lanka resumed its first innings Wednesday at 136-3, with Dinesh Chandimal (34) and Dhananjaya de Silva (23).
Chandimal was dropped by Rhakeem Cornwall from the bowling of Shannon Gabriel in the first over of the day, a lapse that wasn’t too costly as Chandimal was caught by the substitute fielder Hayden Walsh off Gabriel when the Sri Lankan batsment was on 44 and Sri Lanka was 152-4.
The first rain break of the day came at 11:10 am but lasted only 10 minutes.
Dhananjaya fell lbw to part-time off-spinner Jermaine Blackwood in the 80th over, six overs after the resumption.
The rain returned less than an hour later, harder and more persistent.
The umpires called for an early lunch and the players eventually were able to return to the field at 1:25 pm, but there was another long rain delay not long after.
Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella made 21 from 25 deliveries astride the rain break before falling to Jason Holder, who was the most threatening of the West Indies’ bowlers in the last two sessions.
Suranga Lakmal was 6 when he mistimed a delivery from Alzarri Joseph in the 91st over and lobbed a gentle catch to West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, standing next to the non-striker. Sri Lanka was 214-7.
Dushmantha Chameera faced a testing time, especially from Holder who mixed short and full deliveries, setting Chameera up for the dismissal in the 98th over.
Rain had the final say and the day was ended by a heavy shower and by darkening skies just after 5 pm.
The shower was fleeting but left damp patches close to the pitch and the umpires called off play for the day about 45 minutes later. (AP)
