Sri Lanka And West Indies Draw Rain-Hit Test Match

Sri Lanka And West Indies Draw Rain-Hit Test Match

Tharanga Paranavitana scored 95 to bat Sri Lanka to safety before the bad weather arrived

©REUTERS/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds (SRI LANKA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

West Indies 580-9 dec. (Gayle 333) drew with
Sri Lanka 378 (Sangakkara 73, M Jayawardene 59) & 241-4
First Test, Galle, day five
Scorecard

Rain and bad light closed in in Galle to ensure that the opening Test between Sri Lanka and the West Indies was drawn after a whole sessions's worth of play was lost on the final day.

Sri Lanka closed the match on 241 for four in their second innings thanks to half-centuries from Tharanga Paranavitana (95), Tillakaratne DIlshan (54) and Mahela Jayawardene (58).

They resumed the last day on 89 without loss, having been asked to follow on when they were bowled out for 378 in reply to the West Indies' 580 for nine declared, in which Chris Gayle hammered 333.

Paranavitana and Dilshan extended their opening partnership to 102 before Dilshan was bowled by Kemar Roach, who then had Kumar Sangakkara caught by Darren Sammy for four.

Paranavitana then fell five runs short of a century as he and Jayawardene revived the innings and although Jayawardene was subsequently caught and bowled by Berndan Nash, Sri Lanka were by that time ahead and looking unlikely to let the game slip away.

Unbeaten when the match was eventually called off were Thilan Samaraweera, on 19, and Angelo Mathews, on four.

The second Test in the three-match series gets underway on 23rd November.