Rahkeem Cornwall blasted a maiden Check half-century and dominated an eighth-wicket partnership of 90 with Joshua da Silva to elevate the West Indies to 268 for eight of their first innings, a lead of 99 runs, on the shut of the second day of the primary Check towards Sri Lanka on the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Monday. Excellent seam bowling by Suranga Lakmal, who claimed his fourth five-wicket innings haul in 64 Assessments, had restricted the house facet to 171 for seven simply after tea in reply to the vacationers’ modest first-day effort of 169.
Nonetheless the burly Cornwall, chosen primarily for his off-spin bowling but additionally well-known for his highly effective hitting within the home sport, joined wicketkeeper-batsman da Silva in first resisting the very best efforts of the Sri Lankan bowlers earlier than opening into an array of expansive strokes upon the arrival of the second new ball.
His unbeaten 60 has come of 79 balls with two sixes and 9 fours embellishing an entertaining innings.
Da Silva, who’s already constructing a status in his younger worldwide profession for that includes in helpful lower-order partnerships, was close by of his second Check half-century when he fell for 46 simply minutes earlier than the shut of play, caught behind off quick bowler Dushmantha Chameera trying to experience a lifting supply over the slip cordon.
“I wanted to get some runs as a result of I have never been exhibiting the very best I can do with the bat up to now,” stated Cornwall in reflecting on his innings. “I feel we’re in an excellent place at this stage of the match. We have to come tomorrow and attempt to profit from the primary hour, then we will arrange the match by having one thing to run at them within the second innings.”
Such a wholesome benefit appeared out of the realms of chance with Lakmal in full movement on the best way to excellent figures of 5 for 45 off 24 correct overs.
When he dismissed Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph in fast succession after tea to finish the five-wicket haul, the Sri Lankans could have even entertained the prospect of erasing a minimal first innings deficit earlier than the tip of the day.
However their enthusiasm step by step ebbed away because the runs flowed and so they now face a difficult prospect on the third day to mount the kind of second innings rearguard that has been virtually non-existent on a depressing run which has seen them lose their final 4 Check matches.
There have been solely smiles on the Sri Lankans’ faces although in the beginning of the day when Lakmal prised out West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite with none addition to the in a single day complete.
He returned on a scorching afternoon to bowl Jermaine Blackwood cheaply by the gate off the inside-edge after which account for the damaging Kyle Mayers for 45 through a second slip catch by Dhananjaya de Silva.
Mayers had punctuated lengthy durations of digital strokelessness with thrilling power-hitting, putting six fours and two sixes in his innings earlier than the skilled seamer bought the higher of him.
John Campbell performed an unusually stubborn knock of 42, the left-handed opening batsman occupying 148 deliveries in attending to 42 earlier than turning into Chameera’s first wicket of the day, though he ought to have dismissed Nkrumah Bonner within the pre-lunch interval when the batsman’s edge to 3rd slip was negated by a no-ball.
Promoted
Campbell and Bonner placed on 56 for the second wicket following Brathwaite’s demise, however they wanted different moments of excellent fortune to outlive towards a persistent and assorted bowling assault.
“Man of the Sequence” in his debut marketing campaign in Bangladesh a month earlier, Bonner ultimately fell for 31 simply earlier than lunch, adjudged leg-before when he missed an tried pull to a brief ball from left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya.
