KANDY, 24 July 2005 — Sri Lankan fast bowler Chaminda Vaas grabbed six wickets to help his team seize control of the second Test against West Indies before rain halted play early yesterday.
Sri Lanka, leading by two runs after bowling out the West Indies for 148 in the morning, made amends for their poor performance in the first innings with 146-2 in the second, finishing with a lead of 148 at the close.
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene capitalized on a 55-run opening stand from Sanath Jayasuriya (36) and Marvan Atapattu (19) with an unbroken 89 run partnership on a difficult batting pitch.
Sangakkara batted for nearly two hours for his unbeaten 46, an innings that included seven stylish boundaries, and Jayawardene was 38 not out having hit five fours.
Vaas was in ominous form in the morning, snapping up two wickets in his first over of the day to finish with 6-22 from 15 overs.
Vaas needed just three balls to trap wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin lbw for 13 with an inswinger. Three balls later Daren Powell (0) ended up chopping on to his leg stump.
Left-arm spinner Jayasuriya broke through in the opening over of the day as Narsingh Deonarine added just four runs to his overnight score before he was caught and bowled for 40.
West Indies had lost three wickets in 12 balls to leave them in danger of conceding a significant first innings deficit on 101-8.
But off spinner Omari Banks and Tino Best frustrated Sri Lanka after Vaas left the field for treatment and added 21 runs in 46 balls for the ninth wicket.
Off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, still struggling with a flu virus and not bowling at his best, eventually had Banks caught at short leg for 17.
Best, though, continued to be aggressive and hit 26 not out, including five boundaries. He added 26 for the last wicket before Jermaine Lawson was bowled.
Atapattu and Jayasuriya survived a potentially tricky 23-minute session before the lunch break and then played confidently in the afternoon, adding 55 in 73 balls.
Jayasuriya cracked seven boundaries in his 43-ball knock and Atapattu stroked a couple of imperious strokes off the back foot to suggest a return to form.
But Atapattu then creamed a square cut straight to Banks at backward point and Jayasuriya was surprised by some extra bounce and caught in the slips off Lawson to leave Sri Lanka 57-2. Pace bowler Best then produced a hostile and fast spell before the tea interval, forcing Jayawardene and Sangakkara to take evasive action on several occasions.
Jayawardene needed medical attention after being struck on his top hand by one bouncer.
However, after Best’s five-over spell, the batsmen settled and started to score freely to leave Sri Lanka in control when heavy rain forced play to be called off early with 29.5 overs still to be bowled.
