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Sri Lanka scripts a historic win

Chaminda Vaas scalps five; Gayle provides some resistance

— Photo: AP

SUPERB SNARE: Muttiah Muralitharan comes up with a spectacular effort to remove Daren Powell and signal Sri Lanka’s first win in the Caribbean.

GEORGETOWN: Chaminda Vaas took five for 61 to lead Sri Lanka to a historic first win in the Caribbean, defeating West Indies by 121 runs with 6.4 overs left in the opening Test on Wednesday.

West Indies, resuming on 96 for one and needing 437 for victory, tried holding out for a draw before being bowled out for 315 at Providence Stadium.

Ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who bowled for most of the final day, chipped in with three for 112.

Tribute from captain

“These two have been warriors for us and (it was) an amazing effort today again from those two guys,” captain Mahela Jayawardene said. “Vaasy was exceptional today. Murali bowled one end throughout.

“It wasn’t an easy pitch to get wicketsWe had to be very patient, wait for our opportunities. Hats off to the four bowlers.”

Thilan Thushara, Vaas’s seam bowling mate, weighed in with two for 70, and Rangana Herath conceded only 44 in 22 overs. Sri Lanka lost 1-0 on both previous visits to the Caribbean in 1997 and 2003.

In a tense final hour Vaas bagged the final two wickets with the new ball.

He forced Jerome Taylor to edge a delivery to second slip, then four overs later and about 15 minutes from stumps he got Daren Powell to loft to mid-off where Muralitharan grasped a stunning, one-handed catch over his head to provide Vaas with his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests. Vaas with figures of eight for 109 overall and a half-century was named Man of the Match.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle, who dropped himself down the order after a first-innings duck, provided stern resistance at the end with an unbeaten 51 in three-and-a-quarter hours.

Dwayne Bravo, who top-scored with 83, and Ramnaresh Sarwan who hit a confident 72, began the day well and made Sri Lanka wait until 20 minutes before lunch for the first breakthrough. Bravo, after cracking 10 fours and a six in just over three hours, drove a return catch to world record-holder Muralitharan.

The home team lunched at 170 for two but things went badly in the second session.

Marlon Samuels departed quickly for 10 as Vaas struck for the first time for the day, wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara hauling in a tentative stroke.

Vaas soon landed another crucial blow when Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a veteran of 108 Tests, was bowled off the inside edge for three. Sarwan and Gayle added 34 to stall the visitor briefly but Thushara made his mark when he gained a leg before verdict against Sarwan.

Sarwan struck four fours in a composed knock that spanned 206 balls and 278 minutes. He appeared unlucky to be given out by umpire Billy Bowden.

Big lift

Muralitharan gave the Sri Lankans a big lift in the final over before tea when Ryan Hinds swept at a ball wide of leg stump on 10 and provided a catch to Sangakkara.

Thushara removed Denesh Ramdin for one just after the break and the Sri Lankans sensed a comfortable win at 231 for seven with 30 overs remaining. But Gayle shepherded the lower order to give West Indies hope.

Sulieman Benn was leg before to Muralitharan’s doosra but Taylor offered strong defiance with his fellow Jamaican. He and Gayle spent close to an hour adding 47 for the ninth wicket before Vaas returned with the second new ball and sealed the victory. — AP

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka — 1st innings: 476 for eight decl.

West Indies — 1st innings: 280.

Sri Lanka — 2nd innings: 240 for seven decl.

West Indies — 2nd innings: D. Smith c Thushara b Vaas 10, D. Bravo c & b Muralitharan 83, R. Sarwan lbw b Thushara 72, M. Samuels c Sangakkara b Vaas 10, S. Chanderpaul b Vaas 3, C. Gayle (not out) 51, R. Hinds c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 10, D. Ramdin c M. Jayawardene b Thushara 1, S. Benn lbw b Muralitharan 7, J. Taylor c Dilshan b Vaas 12, D. Powell c Muralitharan b Vaas 14, Extras (b-25, lb-3, nb-14) 42, Total (in 106.2 overs) 315.

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-156, 3-171, 4-178, 5-212, 6-229, 7-231, 8-244, 9-291.

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 22.2-7-61-5, Thushara 17-2-70-2, Herath 22-7-44-0, Muralitharan 45-6-112-3.

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