Cricket News By TODAYLIVESCORE.INFO - Sri Lanka keep control by extending lead to 240. Both Karunaratne and Mathews used the sweep to good effect.
Both Karunaratne and Mathews used the sweep to good effect.
Sri Lanka extended their advantage by adding 84-second innings runs in addition to their lead of 156 in the first.
With Praveen Jaywaickrama picking his fourth wicket to end West Indies' first innings, Sri Lanka wasted little time after rain had delayed the start of the fourth day. Thereafter, they were put under pressure early by West Indies' spinners but Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews played solid hands in reversing some of that pressure.
On a pitch that was turning square, West Indies opened the attack with their premier spinner, Rahkeem Cornwall, and he delivered immediately. Pathum Nissanka gloved one to leg slip where Shai Hope plucked a sharp chance. Nissanka wasted a review along with his wicket and West Indies kept the pressure on from the other end as well. Oshada Fernando fell to a straighter one from Jomel Warrican as Sri Lanka slipped to 39/2.
West Indies missed another wicket opportunity when they opted against a review with replays confirming that Karunaratne could have been LBW. With some luck going their way, both Karunaratne and Mathews used the sweep to good effect to add vital runs in an attacking stand. The duo added 45 runs in 67 balls to give Sri Lanka an overall lead of 240 by Lunch on the fourth day.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka386 (Karunaratne 147, De Silva 61, Chase 5-83) and 84/2 (Dimuth Karunaratne 42*)lead West Indies 230 (Mayers 45, Jayawickrama 4-40)by 240 runs.
