NORTH SOUND, Antigua: Left hanging on 99 in a single day, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite accomplished his ninth take a look at century on Tuesday to position his staff in a powerful place at stumps on the second day of the second cricket take a look at towards Sri Lanka.
Brathwaite wanted solely two balls firstly of the day to succeed in his first century since July 2018. He labored the second ball from Suranga Lakmal to advantageous leg for a single to additionally full his first hundred as West Indies captain from 241 balls with 11 fours.
Brathwaite was the sixteenth participant in take a look at historical past to be stranded on 99 in a single day and he maintained a streak as all 16 have been transformed into a whole lot. He has now scored 9 of the final 10 centuries by a West Indies opener.
Brathwaites 103-run eighth-wicket partnership with Rahkeem Cornwall helped the West Indies to 354 because it batted first after shedding the toss. At stumps, Sri Lanka was 136-3, 218 runs behind.
Lahiru Thirimanne adopted his scores of 70 and 76 within the first take a look at with 55 which supplied solidity on the high of the Sri Lanka order. Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva then batted via 25 overs in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership which was price 59 runs at stumps when Chandimal was 34 not out and de Silva 23.
De Silva survived a assured enchantment for caught behind off Cornwalls bowling two balls earlier than stumps. He tried to drag a flighted supply and there was a transparent noise because the ball handed the bat down the leg aspect.
The umpire rejected Sri Lankas enchantment for a catch behind and the West Indies known as for a assessment. Replays confirmed a transparent spike because the ball handed the bat. But the tv umpire, matching totally different replay angles with the audio proof, dominated accurately that the sound didnt come from the ball hitting the bat.
Jason Holder, who was changed by Brathwaite as captain, performed a serious position in encouraging the West Indies gamers late within the day.
Its been a reasonably docile wicket to date so weve bought to try to encourage ourselves, Holder stated. I took it upon myself to attempt to encourage the blokes and guarantee we saved going via the whole innings immediately.
It was a reasonably good effort from the bowlers to date, not a wicket on which you’ll simply blast individuals out.
Holder stated the match is intently balanced after two days.
Its fairly even-stevens, he stated. Weve bought two set batsmen on the crease in the meanwhile. Our bowlers toiled very exhausting, had been nonetheless 60 overs in; possibly if we will seize one in every of two extra wickets earlier than the second new ball then I imagine effectively be just about within the sport.
The day started with excessive anticipation of Brathwaites century and he didnt preserve followers ready.
Cornwall, 43 not out in a single day, reached his half century with a 4 off Lakmal, from 64 balls with eight fours and a six.
Brathwaite survived a assured enchantment for lbw when he was 102. Sri Lankas enchantment was rejected. Replays confirmed the ball simply clipping leg stump.
The century partnership between Brathwaite and Cornwall got here from 185 balls with Cornwall contributing 72.
Cornwall had reached a brand new excessive rating, 73, when he mistimed a drive off Lakmal and supplied a mild, lobbed catch to Vishwa Fernando and mid-off.
Brathwaite stepped up his scoring price, hitting Lakmal and Dushmantha Chameera to the boundaries at mid-off and mid-on within the subsequent two overs.
He loved a quick stand with Kemar Roach who was out for 9, caught by Niroshan Dickwella off Chameera, giving the wicketkeeper his fifth catch of the innings.
Brathwaite batted via the West Indies innings and was the final man out at 354, dragging a ball from Chameera onto his stumps to finish his 514-minute keep on the crease.
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