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Win 150th Test in four days
Sri Lanka beat Windies despite early blushes
By Marlon Fernandopulle
Sri Lanka shrugged off a few early shocks to beat an under strength West Indies team by six wickets in the first test match at the SSC grounds yesterday and take a 1-0 lead in the two match series.Chasing 172 runs for victory Sri Lanka reached their target 40 minutes after the tea interval on the fourth day after their champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan picked up six wickets and set up the victory in the morning session.

The result was never in doubt for the Sri Lankans who sensed victory even before the toss after the West Indies were forced to field an under strength side following a dispute between senior players and their board.However the manner in which Sri Lanka eventually achieved it was far from satisfactory.

West Indies began the day with their backs to the wall at 59 for 6 and needed not only to occupy the crease but also to swell their total if they were to challenge the Lankans.Overnight batsman skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Omari Banks began cautiously as they survived the initial seven overs from Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga adding ten more runs to the total.
However no sooner Atapattu turned to his champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan the visitors were in trouble again.Murali inflicted a double blow when he picked up Banks and Darren Powell in similar fashion off successive deliveries.

Despite their tails up and eager to finish up the visitors innings the Lankans were frustrated as Tino Best and Chanderpaul added a useful 44 runs for the ninth wicket before Muralitharan induced Best for a big hit, which he missed and Sangakkara removed the bails off. In the same over Muralitharan had Jermain Lawson top edged a sweep to be caught at short fine leg by substitute Upul Chandana.Murali who returned to test cricket after 11 months following shoulder injury finished with 6 for 36, the 45 th time he has taken five wickets or more in an innings while Vaas picked up 4 for 15.

Needing 172 to win the Lankan openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu were up against the hostile pace of Jermain Lawson and Darren Powell.Lawson in particular was all fired up and bowling at a speed close to 150 kmph.The tall Jamaican pace bowler gave the Windies the ideal start when he picked up Jayasuriya and Sangakkara in successive deliveries to have the Lankans at 34 for 2 wickets.Jayasuriya went for an ambitious drive only to see Xavier Marshall pull off an excellent catch at cover point.Sangakkara was picked up brilliantly at second slip by a diving Sylvester Joseph for a duck.

A few overs later Marvan Atapattu, who had earlier survived a caught behind edged a Lawson delivery for wicket keeper Ramdin to hold onto a spectacular catch.With the Lankans on 49 for 3 wickets Thilan Samaraweera joined vice captain Mahela Jayawardene in a bid to steady the ship.Both batsmen who had failed in the first innings made amends as they batted sensibly and more importantly began to string together a match winning partnership.

The usually obdurate Samaraweera was more flambuoyant as he picked up eight boundaries four of which were carpet drives behind the bowler.He reached his half century in just 53 deliveries and Sri Lanka went into tea at 132 for 3 wickets.Lawson returned after tea to pick up his 4 th wicket that of Samaraweere for 51.Samaraweera’s alliance with Jayawardene was 86 runs and ensured that Sri Lanka were driven to safety after a few initial setbacks.With Samaraweeras exit T M Dilshan joined Mahela Jayawardene and ensured that Sri Lanka reached the target of 172 without any further loss.

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