Dilshan And Silva Lead Sri Lankan Recovery In Trinidad
Fidel Edwards prepares to bowl.
©DigicelCricket.com/Brooks La Touche Photography
Dilshan And Silva Lead Sri Lankan Recovery
Chamara Silva.
©Action Images / Jason O'Brien
217-5 (Dilshan 58no, Edwards 3-50) v
West Indies in Trinidad
Scorecard
Sri Lanka lead the two-match series 1-0
By
John Pennington
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chamara Silva put together a century partnership to help Sri Lanka fight back against a strong West Indian bowling performance on the first day of the second Test in Trinidad. Invited to bat, the tourists closed on 217 for five on a day shortened by rain and ended early by bad light.
Having lost the toss, Sri Lanka made good progress in the first hour before going to an early lunch on 89 for two having lost Malinda Warnapura (35) and Kumar Sangakkara (ten) with some rain around. Shortly after the resumption Sri Lanka lost the wicket of Michael Vandort, who edged Fidel Edwards down the leg side to Denesh Ramdin, with Edwards taking the first three wickets to fall.
After another rain break, Jerome Taylor snapped up Thilan Samaraweera (six) and Mahela Jayawardene (26) with a fine spell. He had Samaraweera playing and missing on a regular basis before he inevitably edged to captain Chris Gayle at slip before Jayawardene was bowled.
Edwards and Taylor proved a tricky proposition for the Sri Lankan batsmen, Taylor consistently beating the edge with movement off the pitch and Edwards causing problems with his express pace on a helpful track.
Sri Lanka were 117 for five when Dilshan and Silva came together and the pair put their team back in the match with a counter-attacking partnership, Dilshan bringing up his half-century from just 51 balls.
He closed unbeaten on 58 from 57 balls with Silva on 37 from 48.
The West Indies handed a Test debut to opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon while Edwards replaced spinner Sulieman Benn. Sri Lanka replaced Rangana Herath with Ishara Amerasinghe.
Sri Lanka won the opening Test in Guyana by 121 runs.
� Cricket World 2008
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