COLOMBO, Nov 23: The West Indies was 224-9, trailing Sri Lanka by 162 runs, when the third day of the first Test was cut short by persistent drizzle on Tuesday.
Only 38 overs were played, and the better part of two sessions lost. The West Indies resumed on 113-6 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 386 and rallied in the morning through overnight batsmen Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder, who added 50 to their partnership. When the duo got out, the visitors were reeling at 175-8.
Rakheem Cornwall and Joshua da Silva led West Indies to lunch, but in the fifth over afterwards, Cornwall mistimed a pull at a short ball by Suranga Lakmal and top-edged it to square leg. He made a valuable 39 from 58 balls with five boundaries and a six over midwicket to raise the team’s 200.
Cornwall and da Silva combined for 49, their team’s second best partnership. The rain arrived at that moment and never really left. More rain is forecast on days four and five.
If and when play resumes, Sri Lanka can take the new ball.
Da Silva was 11 not out with Jeremy Solozano next man in to make his Test debut. Spinners Praveen Jayawickrama and Ramesh Mendis have taken three wickets apiece. (AP)
