Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite struck a timely unbeaten 99 (239b, 11×4) as the West Indies recovered from 15 for 2 wickets to 287 for 7 on the first day of the second test against Sri Lanka at Antigua yesterday.
Sri Lanka got off to a fine start when strike bowler Suranga Lakmal claimed two quick wickets in the space of 4 runs that of John John Campbell for 5 edging to wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella off the last ball of the sixth over, and clean bowling first test centurion Nkrumah Bonner for a duck in the last ball of the eighth over. It was an ominous start for the Lankans after skipper Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss and put the West Indies in to bat as they went on to make further inroads with the hosts decimated to 120 for 4 an d 222 for 7. But Brathwaite was to front a typical redeeming captain’s knock right upfront opening the batting sharing in a third-wicket partnership of 71 runs with Kyle Mayers (39) and 65-run unfinished eighth-wicket partnership with Rahkeem Cornwall who was on 43 at the close of play.
CHIEF SCORES:
West Indies 287/7 (Kraigg Brathwaite n.o. 99, Mayers 49, Cornwall n.o. 43 S, Suranga Lakmal 3/71)