Windies too quick for Lankan top order

*Thilan – Vaas stage mini recovery

Tillakaratne Dilshan (L) has a word with Thilan Samaraweera (R) at the center of the pitch against West Indies during the third day of the 2nd test at the Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago yesterday. -AFP

PORT OF Spain, Saturday -A sensible 52-run stand for the 7th wicket between Sri Lanka’s last recognized batsman Thilan Samaraweera and bowling allrounder Chaminda Vaas saw Sri Lanka moving to a somewhat healthy 151 for 6 at tea, after their early order chose to commit hara-kiri on the third day of their second test against the West Indies at the historic Queens Park Oval here today.

Earlier the Lankans did well to restrict the home team, conceding a lead of only 16 runs in the morning with Muttiah Muralitharan ending the innings with 5 for 79 while Vaas and Thilina Thushara Mirando chipped in with two wickets each.

Occupying the crease for the second time, Lankan openers Michael Vandort and Malinda Warnapura who had been very effective so far in the previous three innings, saw them losing the first wicket with only two runs on the board, when Warnapura edged fast bowler Jerome Taylor making his second Test ‘duck’.

Vandort was soon run out while obliging a Kumar Sangakkara call for a single which was not there. Then when both Sangakkara and skipper Mahela Jayawardena got out with the score only on 32, the Lankan chances looked very ominous.

Batting on a grassy wicket with variable bounce, the Lankans still went in for their strokes and this saw another two wickets falling – that of T.M. Dilshan and Chamara Silva – before they could reach the three figure mark.

However Samaraweera and Vaas facing a barrage of short pitched deliveries survived till tea with the former stroking a half century just before the break to be not out on 51 while Vaas remained unbeaten on 26.

At tea the Lankans were leading by 135 runs with four wicket still intact and were just beginning to look as if they were going to make a match of it, provided that Samaraweera was going to stick along with the rest of the tail.