The fourth day of the second Test cricket match between the West Indies and Sri Lanka in Galle ended today (2) with Sri Lanka taking control of the match.
At the end of the day Sri Lanka were playing their second innings with 328 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. Sri Lanka were 279 runs ahead of the West Indies in the first innings. Permuel took 3 wickets and Roston Chase took 2 wickets so far for windies.
Unbeaten Dhananjaya de Silva scored his eighth Test century with 153 and Lasith Ambuldeniya with 25. The unbroken partnership between the de Silva & Ambuldeniya for the ninth wicket so far is 107 runs. It was the highest partnership ever recorded for the ninth wicket of an innings in a West Indies-Sri Lanka Test match.
At the start of the day, the West Indies would have hoped to make incisions and Veerasammy Permaul provided them with one when he removed Charith Asalanka. But West Indies’ spinners were not able to control the game.
To make matters worse for the West Indies, Permaul missed a skier off his own bowling. In fact, in the morning session, De Silva had got another reprieve when Joshua Da Silva grassed a chance behind the stumps. Da Silva also missed a stumping opportunity to give Lasith Embuldinya a reprieve. Kraigg Brathwaite, the skipper, was the unlucky bowler on that occasion.
Early in the 2nd session of day 04, Roston Chase turned one a little more than Dinesh Chandimal expected, and pocketed a return catch off the inside half of the bat – the batter going for 2 off 12.
Suranga Lakmal and Angelo Mathews batting at No. 9 were also both out cheaply to good Permaul deliveries, bowled with the second new ball.
Lakmal was struck in front of the stumps by a quick, turning ball that was projected to brush the bails. Mathews got a big turner too. He lunged forward second ball, had his edge taken, and caught by a diving Jermaine Blackwood at slip.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 204 & 328/8 (Dhananjaya de Silva 153*, Pathum Nissanka 66; V Permaul 3-100) lead West Indies 253 (Kraigg Brathwaite 72; Ramesh Mendis 6-70) by 279 runs.
West indies head Coach Phil Simmons think 300 run target difficult to get day 5 in galle, he said that Interview after the Stump 2nd Test – Day 4,
” Kind of 98 Overs 300 runs to get it’s a little bit difficult, I think the guy ( de silva) batted really well and controlled the game , well, the wicked wasn’t ragging as much as we thought it , would today on the fourth day, and he controlled it. It was a superb 100 And so I think he played us out of the game. ”
Q : Still, after such a top afternoon session, what do you tell the guys in the last room to keep them positive?
“you just had to appreciate the fact that sometimes. you need day where people play well, we did all that we could. Well, on the field, we were energetic all the time, so it’s just that he got it.”
Q : Well, do you think that there’s anything we can do to avoid these values?
“One thing we can do is take the one chance we got off him. But other than that, we just got both of the plans we have and sometimes try little different things to the plans. But other than that, if somebody bats well on a wicked that’s playing as well as this, then you have to hold your hands up to them.” he said
Q : So with the game in this situation, what is the plan for tomorrow? Once we get on?
“Well, the thing about it is tomorrow is supposed to be 98 overs again. And we just have to make sure that when we start a battery as he bated today, but with an air of and attitude that I want to score all the time. But as long as we can back out of the day, because tomorrow is the last day. So that’s what we would be looking to do if we can win the game. Sounds good. No problem. ” he said last