A different Lankan attack from the one that experienced the Gayle batting at Galle combined effectively to bowl the West Indians out for 243 and take a lead of 144 in the drawn second Test at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis makes a successful appeal for leg before against the West Indian opener Adrian Barath in their second innings. (Pic by Sanka Vidanagama)

Having conceded the honours at Galle, Sangakkara’s men lifted their game to secure a moral triumph here. No one showed the way better than Sangakkara who batted hard initially and then played with refreshing freedom to score his 24th Test hundred.

When play got underway at 1 p.m, proceedings were desultory and shorn of interest to begin with as more runs came via the pad than the bat. All of a sudden the innings sparked into life with Bravo lifting a four to long on and Baugh back cutting to the boundary. Bravo settled the issue of the follow on by hitting Herath over the long boundary for six.

Bravo robbed of the strike for a while lost patience. He came out and swung at Herath to be easily stumped. isappointing dismissals for Sammy and Benn followed to make the West Indians 209 for 8.

Umpire Kettleborough, who got most decisions correct at Galle, had two LBW decisions reversed by the DRS. The beneficiary both times was Baugh.

Baugh continued to go for his shots and hit both Mendis and Herath over the top. The heavy outfield converted fours into twos. Mendis was flat in his trajectory while Herath gave some air. Wisely Baugh shielded Shillingford from both. He reached his second half century in Tests with a push into the covers. (101 balls, 6 fours). He was gone a few balls later, playing inside a Herath delivery that came around the bat and bowled him. Mendis almost produced a replica of that to beat and bowl Roach and terminate the West Indian innings.

Herath, wicketless on the third day, prised out three to end with the best figures. Once again, the West Indian batting from number 8 to 11 was pathetic. In the time available after tea Dilshan and Paranavithana enlarged the lead with a 55 runs stand for the first wicket. Dilshan had four boundaries in his rather subdued 26 before carelessness took over.

Sangakkara surprised one and all by his surprise declaration. In all probability he wanted to rub in his new found superiority by capturing some wickets. The target was 202 in 21 overs. The West Indians struggled against the spin of Mendis and Dilshan. The ball passed the bat repeatedly and the batters gave the impression that they were treading on a mine field.

There was relief on the West Indian faces when the umpires took the players off the field for the last time.