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Samaraweera rescues Sri Lanka

West Indies bowler Fidel Edwards lies on the pitch after missing a catch from a Sri Lanka batsman in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Thilan Samaraweera smacked a brilliant 125 to rescue a wobbling Sri Lanka on Saturday and set West Indies 253 to win the second cricket Test and save the series.

The visitors, 1-0 up in the two-Test series, were bowled out for a second time on the last ball of the third day for 268 to leave West Indies with two days to make a challenging victory target at Queen’s Park Oval.

Samaraweera and Chaminda Vaas shared a seventh-wicket stand of 138 that pulled Sri Lanka from peril at 99-for-six.

Samaraweera crafted his sixth test hundred in five hours from 199 balls and struck 18 boundaries.

Veteran Vaas contributed 45 spanning 114 balls in just over three hours.

“I think every hundred is the best,’’ Samaraweera said. “My debut hundred was a special one and I scored one in Pakistan after we were nine for three and saved Sri Lanka. But this one is special.’’

Samaraweera also praised Vaas, with whom he shared the innings-reviving stand.

“Vaas was special. He is brilliant for Sri Lankan cricket and he did really well in supporting me,’’ he said.

Samaraweera added he was confident of winning in the last two days for a first series victory in the Caribbean.

“I think we have a good chance because we have a special spinner in Murali and the bounce is uneven,’’ he said. “I think the new ball is also key. If we can get two, three wickets with the new ball we will win definitely.’’

Jerome Taylor led the West Indians with four-for-52 and added a critical run out.

The home team spent the first hour of the day eking out a first-innings lead of 16 after resuming on 268-7 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 278.

West Indies added 26 runs, but the last three wickets tumbled for five runs as Muttiah Muralitharan completed his 63rd five-wicket haul in Tests.

The offspinner ended with 5-79. He claimed Denesh Ramdin to a sharp catch to first slip for 13 while Daren Powell was plumb leg-before-wicket (LBW) to one that kept a bit low on 3.

In between, Vaas claimed Taylor for 13 to a clear LBW verdict.

Sri Lanka’s second innings was rocked early by Taylor, who provided two wickets in his first over. He claimed Malinda Warnapura for a duck and ran out Michael Vandort for 1.

Warnapura edged to third slip where Sewnarine Chattergoon pouched a good catch while Vandort was a meter out after Taylor’s athletic pickup and direct hit.

Fidel Edwards and Powell provided the key scalps of captain Mahela Jaywardene and the world’s No. 1 batsman, Kumar Sangakkara, as Sri Lanka slipped to 32-4.
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