Tea West Indies 241 for 5 (Dowrich 44*, Kumara 2-69) trail Sri Lanka 253 by 12 runs
West Indies marched towards a big lead after lunch, on a third day that was overshadowed by ball-tampering allegations and the five-run penalty imposed against the Sri Lanka side. They lost two wickets in the afternoon, but were driven forward by a 78-run fifth-wicket stand between Roston Chase and the in-form Shane Dowrich. By tea the hosts were only 12 runs runs behind with five wickets still in hand. It was their lower order, remember, who had built the formidable first-innings score that they had founded their victory on in the first Test.
Sri Lanka’s quicks, meanwhile, were unable to consistently extract the bounce and seam that had envenomed the West Indies fast bowlers on the first day. Spinner Akila Dananjaya was effective in patches, but was not yet finding the kind of turn on this surface that would see him become a more persistent menace.
Smith had batted serenely in the first session, unflustered by a Sri Lanka side clearly showing their ire over the tampering allegations. But it was subtlety, rather than hostile fast bowling that brought about his dismissal. Dananjaya, bowling from around the wicket, delivered a straighter ball, deceiving the batsman who played for the stock offbreak. He struck Smith in front of middle and off – the decision a straightforward one for the umpire. Smith finished with 61 off 174, which is an important score for him personally, as well as for the team. In his comeback Test in Trinidad, Smith had failed to impress.
But it was the Chase-Dowrich stand that defined the session. Having come together at 163 for 4, they played out a few tense, quiet overs before eventually settling into a scoring rhythm. They launched a concerted attack against Dananjaya, Dowrich launching him down the ground for six about midway through the afternoon, as he and his partner took 14 runs off that over, but otherwise they were happy to wait for Sri Lanka to bowl the hittable balls. Dowrich scored all around the field, moving to 44 off 82 balls by the end of the session. Chase preferred to make his runs square of the pitch.
Tea was only 17 minutes away when Sri Lanka took the second new ball as soon as it was available, and Chase lost his wicket shortly after. Lahiru Kumara, who has been Sri Lanka’s best quick of the tour so far, bowled a length ball at the stumps, which Chase punched to the fielder at short midwicket, who took a sharp overhead catch. Chase’s contribution was 41 off 68 balls.
Only 12.3 overs were possible before lunch – not because of the rains that had prevented a full day on Friday, but because Sri Lanka had refused to take the field for almost two hours after the scheduled time. They were protesting what they believed to be an unfair ball-tampering charge, of which they were made aware shortly before play was set to begin on Saturday. Eventually, after many heated conversations between team management and the ICC offcials, Sri Lanka were convinced to resume play. Kumara sent down a short-ball barrage, seemingly channelling the anger felt in the Sri Lanka dressing room, but it was Suranga Lakmal who made the first session’s only breakthrough, having Shai Hope caught for 19 at first slip.