Paranavitana stands firm as Sri Lanka battle on

Opener Tharanga Paranavitana led Sri Lanka’s fightback to save the first test against West Indies with a patient knock of 83 not out on the fifth and final day on Friday.

By (Reuters)

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Published: Fri 19 Nov 2010, 3:05 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 2:48 AM

The left-hander batted throughout the morning session, hitting seven fours in his 168-ball innings to take Sri Lanka to 159-2 wickets at lunch. Sri Lanka still trail West Indies by 43 runs with two sessions remaining.

West Indies scored 580-9 declared and Sri Lanka made 378 in the first innings and were forced to follow-on three runs short of avoiding being asked to bat again.

Mahela Jayawardene (13) kept Paranavitana company in an unbroken third wicket partnership of 49 off 151 balls.

West Indies started brightly and struck two early blows in the morning to have Sri Lanka struggling at 110-2 when Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara were dismissed within two overs of each other.

Dilshan and Paranavitana shared an opening stand of 102 before West Indies broke through, Kemar Roach produced an unplayable Yorker to uproot Dilshan’s off stump when he had scored 54 off 78 balls.

Sangakkara virtually threw his wicket away soon afterwards with his score on four when he went for an extravagant drive to a ball wide off the stumps off Roach and was caught by Darren Sammy at gully.

West Indies missed the chance of removing Paranavitana on 53 when Sammy, at slip, failed to hold onto an edge off Shane Shillingford. Paranavitana, who completed his half century off 89 balls, managed to hang with Jayawardene as the West Indies bowling gradually lost its sting.


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