GROS-ISLET, Saint Lucia: Kraigg Brathwaite's defiance and more inclement weather ensured a draw on the final day of the second Test between the West Indies and Sri Lanka at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Monday (Jun 18).
On a day when their captain, Dinesh Chandimal, who has been charged by umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould with ball tampering on the second day of the match, is likely to know his fate, the tourists stayed focused on events on the field in reducing the home side to 64 for four in early afternoon after setting the West Indies an unlikely victory target of 296.
However Brathwaite's obdurate, unbeaten 59, with support from Shai Hope and captain Jason Holder ensured that the showers which came in the final session, coupled with deteriorating light, eliminated the Sri Lankans' chances of levelling the series.
Shannon Gabriel took the last two wickets of the Sri Lankan second innings within minutes of the start of play to finish with the outstanding innings analysis of eight for 62 and match figures of 13 for 121, the third-best by a West Indian in Tests and the best-ever by a Caribbean bowler in home conditions.
When he wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings for 342 by bowling Akila Dananjaya, Gabriel also reached the landmark of 100 Test wickets.
Kasun Rajitha, the debutant fast-medium bowler who claimed three wickets in the first innings, rocked the West Indies with the wickets of Devon Smith and Kieran Powell within the space of three deliveries at the start of the final innings of the match.
Senior seamer Suranga Lakmal accounted for Roston Chase and Hope but time ran out on the striving Sri Lankans and they were left frustrated by the weather, which once again closed in during the final session and leaves them trailing in the series ahead of the final Test in Barbados, beginning on Saturday.
It will an historic occasion at Kensington Oval as the first day/night Test to be played in the Caribbean and will also be starting on the 90th anniversary of the West Indies' first day of Test cricket against England at Lord's in London on June 23, 1928.
Yet it is quite possible that Chandimal will only be a spectator to all that history if he is found guilty of ball tampering.
While he has challenged the charge, match referee Javagal Srinath will be required to adjudicate in a hearing immediately upon the conclusion of the match to make a final determination on the Sri Lankan's skipper's fate.
Evidence to be presented against Chandimal will include video footage from the television broadcasters which appear to show him taking sweets from his pocket and placing them in his mouth and subsequently applying saliva onto the ball in a manner that the umpires determined to be in violation of the code of conduct regulations in relation to "changing the condition of the ball."
There were concerns that the Test match was in jeopardy on the third morning on Saturday when Chandimal refused to lead his team onto the field for the continuation of the West Indies first innings after he was informed of the charge by the umpires and the application of a five-run penalty.
Play was delayed for two hours as animated discussions took place involving Srinath and Sri Lankan team officials.
It required clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket authorities in Colombo to clear the team to continue the match under protest. SLC also issued a statement saying they were satisfied their players were not involved in any wrongdoing, based on the information provided to them by the officials on location.
Should he be found guilty though, Chandimal faces a one-Test suspension which will rule him out of the last match of the series.
While the International Cricket Council's cricket committee has recommended an increase to the penalty for ball tampering to suspension for four Tests or eight One-Day Internationals, that has yet to be ratified by the ICC.
Sri Lanka 1st innings
Kusal Perera c Jason Holder b Kemar Roach 32
Mahela Udawatte c Jason Holder b Shannon Gabriel 0
Dhananjaya de Silva b Shannon Gabriel 12
Kusal Mendis c Shane Dowrich b Jason Holder 45
Dinesh Chandimal Not Out 119
Roshen Silva c Jason Holder b Shannon Gabriel 6
Niroshan Dickwella c Shai Hope b Shannon Gabriel 16
Akila Dananjaya c Shane Dowrich b Kemar Roach 2
Suranga Lakmal lbw Shannon Gabriel 10
Kasun Rajitha c Shane Dowrich b Kemar Roach 4
Lahiru Kumara c Shai Hope b Kemar Roach 0
Extras 1b 2lb 2nb 0pen 2w 7
Total (79.0 overs) 253 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-0 Udawatte, 2-15 de Silva, 3-59 Perera, 4-126 Mendis, 5-148 Silva, 6-179 Dickwella, 7-190 Perera, 8-206 Lakmal, 9-237 Rajitha, 10-253 Kumara
Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Kemar Roach 18 8 49 4 2.72 1w 2nb
Shannon Gabriel 16 4 59 5 3.69
Miguel Cummins 19 5 69 0 3.63
Jason Holder 14 2 56 1 4.00 1w
Devendra Bishoo 11 3 15 0 1.36
Roston Chase 1 0 2 0 2.00
Windies 1st innings
Kraigg Brathwaite c Niroshan Dickwella b Kasun Rajitha 22
Devon Smith lbw Akila Dananjaya 61
Kieran Powell c Kusal Mendis b Lahiru Kumara 27
Shai Hope c Dhananjaya de Silva b Suranga Lakmal 19
Roston Chase c Suranga Lakmal b Lahiru Kumara 41
Shane Dowrich c Niroshan Dickwella b Suranga Lakmal 55
Jason Holder c Niroshan Dickwella b Kasun Rajitha 15
Devendra Bishoo c Kusal Mendis b Kasun Rajitha 2
Kemar Roach lbw Lahiru Kumara 13
Miguel Cummins Not Out 8
Shannon Gabriel c Dhananjaya de Silva b Lahiru Kumara 3
Extras 11b 8lb 1nb 5pen 9w 34
Total (100.3 overs) 300 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-59 Brathwaite, 2-115 Powell, 3-149 Hope, 4-163 Smith, 5-241 Chase, 6-254 Dowrich, 7-261 Bishoo, 8-279 Holder, 9-292 Roach, 10-300 Gabriel
Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Suranga Lakmal 24 6 50 2 2.08 1w
Akila Dananjaya 25 7 81 1 3.24
Kasun Rajitha 22 6 49 3 2.23 2w
Lahiru Kumara 26.3 4 86 4 3.25 2w 1nb
Dhananjaya de Silva 3 0 10 0 3.33
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
Kusal Perera c Shane Dowrich b Shannon Gabriel 20
Mahela Udawatte c Devendra Bishoo b Kemar Roach 19
Kasun Rajitha lbw Shannon Gabriel 0
Dhananjaya de Silva c Devon Smith b Shannon Gabriel 3
Kusal Mendis b Shannon Gabriel 87
Dinesh Chandimal c Shane Dowrich b Kemar Roach 39
Roshen Silva c Shane Dowrich b Shannon Gabriel 48
Niroshan Dickwella c Kieran Powell b Shannon Gabriel 62
Akila Dananjaya b Shannon Gabriel 23
Suranga Lakmal lbw Shannon Gabriel 7
Lahiru Kumara Not Out 0
Extras 12b 8lb 11nb 0pen 3w 34
Total (91.4 overs) 342 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-32 Perera, 2-34 Rajitha, 3-44 de Silva, 4-48 Udawatte, 5-165 Chandimal, 6-199 Mendis, 7-298 Silva, 8-307 Dickwella, 9-334 Lakmal, 10-342 Perera
Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Kemar Roach 21 3 78 2 3.71 2nb
Shannon Gabriel 20.4 6 62 8 3.00 4nb
Jason Holder 15 5 38 0 2.53 3w 2nb
Miguel Cummins 13 1 44 0 3.38 3nb
Devendra Bishoo 11 0 58 0 5.27
Roston Chase 10 1 38 0 3.80
Kraigg Brathwaite 1 0 4 0 4.00
Windies 2nd innings
Kraigg Brathwaite Not Out 59
Devon Smith c Dhananjaya de Silva b Kasun Rajitha 1
Kieran Powell c Mahela Udawatte b Kasun Rajitha 2
Shai Hope b Suranga Lakmal 39
Roston Chase b Suranga Lakmal 13
Shane Dowrich c Dhananjaya de Silva b Akila Dananjaya 8
Jason Holder Not Out 15
Extras 10b 0lb 0nb 0pen 0w 10
Total (60.3 overs) 147-5
Fall of Wickets : 1-6 Smith, 2-8 Powell, 3-55 Chase, 4-64 Dowrich, 5-117 Hope
Did Not Bat : Bishoo, Roach, Cummins, Gabriel
Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Suranga Lakmal 17.3 3 48 2 2.74
Kasun Rajitha 13 3 23 2 1.77
Lahiru Kumara 10 3 28 0 2.80
Akila Dananjaya 19 7 33 1 1.74
Dhananjaya de Silva 1 0 5 0 5.00
