Cornwall, Da Silva give WI the advantage

THE West Indies wrestled the upper hand on the second day of the Test match against Sri Lanka on the back of a 90-run, eighth-wicket partnership between Rahkeem Cornwall and Joshua Da Silva in Antigua.

The pair came together when it looked like the West Indies would finish with a narrow lead, but then which earned them a healthy 99-run lead on the second day of the Sandals Test Match to finish on 268/8.

Cornwall was the only West Indian batsman to score a half century as he took a liking to the visitors’ bowling, striking them to all corners of the ground to finish the day on 60 runs off just 79 balls, which included nine boundaries and two sixes.

The eighth-wicket partnership was broken with a loose shot from Da Silva as he tried to upper cut a bouncer, but only managed to guide the ball into the hands of the wicketkeeper. Da Silva made 46 runs in his innings.

Just after Tea the match looked evenly poised as the visitors fought back to limit the West Indies, who crept slowly to a first innings lead but didn’t look likely to add many more runs to their tally.

This was thanks to Suranga Lakmal, who led the Sri Lankan attack and had polished off much of the West Indies middle-order batsmen to claim a five-wicket haul before the end of the day.

The West Indies were replying to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 169 runs and was continuing from the first day.

Lakmal led a highly disciplined Sri Lanka bowling attack that asked questions with almost every ball they delivered before Cornwall and Da Silva came together.

The steady West Indies batting crept to the first innings lead just after Tea and continued adding to their lead.

With many of the West Indies batsmen mainly showing their patience and a defensive mindset as they took the time to play themselves in, it was Kyle Mayers who had changed the complexion of the game with a different mindset.

Mayers looked to have a measured approach to his aggression as he hooked for a massive six and then a straight drive for a six and in quick time had raced to 45 runs off 70 balls.

However, a pitched up ball by Lakmal, which looked ripe for the driving, was Mayers’ undoing as his expansive drive only succeeded in edging the ball into the hands of second slip.

The other batsman to fall short of their half century was opener John Campbell, who scored 42 runs and was dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera.

The West Indies levelled the scores after Tea, thanks to a no ball by the spinner with Da Saliva and Jason Holder in the middle.

Holder, who had taken the five-wicket haul, was the fourth victim of Lakmal, who had taken the first wicket of the day. That wicket was the West Indies captain, Kraigg Brathwaite.

Holder, playing at a delivery, got an inside edge which uprooted his stumps. Lakmal’s fifth wicket was Alzarri Joseph, who managed to scoop a drive into the hand of the point fielder.

Lakmal also took the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood.

Earlier, Nkrumah Bonner was also trapped lbw for 31 runs by Embuldeniya.

The runs came when Sri Lanka took the new ball with West Indies leading by 17 runs and on 186/7, Da Silva was on 21 and Cornwall was on 10.

By the close of play on the second day, the West Indies were 268/8 and Cornwall was undefeated on 60 runs and Kemar Roach was on 4.

The third day begins today at 10 a.m. in Antigua. (CG)