Galle, Nov 25: Ramesh Mendis scalped five wickets as Sri Lanka comprehensively defeated West Indies by 187 runs in the first Test of the two-match series at the Galle International Stadium on Thursday.
Resuming Day 5 on 52/6, overnight batters Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner defied Sri Lanka for 173 balls as they put up a 100-run partnership in 44.4-overs. However, right on the cusp of the lunch break, Lasith Embuldeniya got the better of Da Silva (54) and West Indies was reduced to 118/7, still needing 230 to win.
With Da Silva’s dismissal, West Indies’ chances of securing a draw dipped substantially. Da Silva completed a fifty off 121 balls but was squared up by a turning Embuldeniya delivery a few overs later, with the resultant edge held by Dhananjaya de Silva at slip.
Rahkeem Cornwall then joined Bonner, and put in a shift that lasted 46 balls until he ran out of patience, toe-edging a catch to mid-off when he attempted to heave Praveen Jayawickrama down the ground. The Number 10 batsman Jomel Warrican gave a bat-pad catch to silly mid-off.
Shannon Gabriel, whom Bonner was trying desperately to shield from the strike, was also squared up and caught at slip off Embuldeniya, after a six-ball stay. Bonner remained unbeaten on 68 off 220 balls. The last two batters were dismissed cheaply and in the end, Sri Lanka registered a 187-run win to gain a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Sri Lanka
386 & 191/4d (Karunaratne 83, Mathews 69*)
West Indies
230 & 160 (Bonner 68*, Ramesh Mendis 5-67). (IANS)
