Galle Test drawn as rain comes to Sri Lanka’s rescue
The first Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies has ended in a draw after rain stopped a potentially enthralling session of play with the hosts struggling to avoid a defeat.
Resuming at the overnight score of 89/0 the hosts, who were forced to follow-on, had avoided an innings defeat yet were in trouble at 241/4, with a lead of a mere 38 runs, when the heavens opened and took the players off the field.
The Sri Lankans had lost two quick wickets of the two settled batsmen Tharanga Paranavitana and Mahela Jayawardene and were hoping to bat out the remaining overs in the match when play was stopped.
However, the West Indians, who are yet to win a Test in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, took the honours following an epic from former captain Chris Gayle in their first innings.
Gayle, who slammed the second triple ton of his career, scored 333 to put his team in a strong position and his effort was backed up by a sterling bowling performance from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/A-Young-c41367 attack that shot out the formidable Lankans for 378
runs on a batting paradise.
At the end of the match the new West Indian captain Darren Sammy was elated with his team’s performance and felt that his team could have pulled off an improbable win if rain had stayed away on the final day of the match.
"We came into the match well prepared, despite being short of practice. The opportunities we got, we made the best of it all and it showed in the way we performed. Good to see that we dictated the game through out. Plans were clear,
execution was good to see. I must commend Chris (Gayle) for the way he set it up. The way Shane Shillingford came and bowled. I know the guy; he loves to bowl and never drops the ball. That's the kind of passion I wanted. There is always room for improvement.
Players have been supportive; hopefully we can achieve big things. This match has shown we can compete and we can put ourselves in winning positions. This is over, we now start a whole new Test and we need to keep moving as a team".
On the other hand, Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara was a disappointed man, he felt that his team was on the back foot from the outset and it was not what he had expected in home conditions. He added that there was a lot of work
that he and his team have to put in before the start of the second match of the three match series.
"Tough match, our attitude in the first couple of hours wasn't up to the mark and Chris Gayle took advantage. (About the tail end contributions) One of the great joys of playing for SL is the way everyone chips in. We got to admit,
we were pretty much outplayed. There could have had a result if not for the rain (yesterday and today). Credit to the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760. Not heard much about the new ground at RPS. We will leave that to the grounds men, and look forward to see what's there".
The impressive performance by the West Indians has thrown the series wide open, however the Lankans are expected to bounce back strongly and upset the visitors in the second set.
The match is non the less set to provide enthralling cricket especially if the Caribbean Kings continue to bowl well on wicket that are not suited to their brand of cricket.
All eyes would be on off-spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shane-Shillingford-c89689 who was a revelation in the first test and mesmerized the Lankans with his 4 wicket haul in the first innings.
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