Late wickets give West Indies hope against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene plays a shot for a boundary against the West Indies during the first day of the first Test in Providence, Guyana, on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Three in the final period, including the scalp of Malinda Warnapura for a maiden Test hundred of 120, wobbled Sri Lanka after their batsmen revelled in the opening Test against the West Indies on Saturday.

Left-hander Warnapura, opening the batting, maximized ideal conditions to give Sri Lanka a solid base, but West Indies struck back in the final period to leave the visitors on 269 for four in their first innings when stumps were drawn on the opening day.

Warnapura caught down the leg-side, when he fenced at his short, rising 226th delivery from Dwayne Bravo about half-an-hour after tea to leave Sri Lanka on 205 for two. He batted for close to four-and-a-half hours and struck 14 boundaries.

But Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene came to the wicket and kept his side on track with his deputy Kumar Sangakkara before Jerome Taylor struck twice in the space of three balls in his 16th over to drag West Indies back into the match.

Sangakkara, who was dropped on 44 at short mid-off from Taylor's bowling, flicked Test newcomer and left-arm spin bowler Sulieman Benn through backward square leg for a single to reach 50.

But he edged a loose drive in the next over from Taylor and was caught at slip without addition to his score.

Thilan Samaraweera managed to avoid a first-ball duck, when he kept a low delivery from hitting the base of his stumps, but he had no control when he turned the next ball from Taylor to short mid-wicket and was caught to leave Sri Lanka on 243 for four.

Nerves began to creep into the batting of the Sri Lankans and Tillakeratne Dilshan, in particular, was fortunate when he pulled a delivery from Taylor to mid-wicket and a sprawling Benn failed to get his hands to the ball.

Dilshan Jayawardene soon regained their composure and saw Sri Lanka through to the close without further damage.

Taylor the most successful West Indies bowler with three wickets for 59 runs from 18 overs.

Earlier, Warnapura reached his milestone, when he cut his 182nd ball from West Indies captain Chris Gayle for a single.