Suranga Lakmal threatened to skittle the West Indies but a Rahkeem Cornwall half-century has the hosts in control
Match Report:
ScorecardCornwall's maiden fifty helps Windies take control
Sri Lanka seamer Suranga Lakmal has taken five wickets to rip through the West Indies middle order but a fightback led by off-spinning allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall kept the hosts in the driving seat after day two of the first Test.
West Indies were 8-268 at stumps - a first-innings lead of 99 which could already be decisive on an abrasive surface that will get harder to score on.
Cornwall, who was born in Antigua, made his maiden Test half-century and was 60 not out having put on an excellent stand of 90 for the eighth wicket with the more circumspect Joshua Da Silva, before the latter was out just before the close for 46 from 124 balls.
History in Wadadli!🇦🇬 Cornwall continues his stand at the crease tomorrow!#WIvSL #MenInMaroon ⏰: 10:00 A.M. AST/ 9:00 A.M. Jamaica pic.twitter.com/LZOvxmk5Dr— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) March 22, 2021
The hosts will hope to drive home their advantage after winning the toss and sending Sri Lanka in to bat.
They dismissed the visitors for 169 inside 70 overs on the opening day as seamer Jason Holder took 5-27 in his first Test appearance since being replaced as West Indies captain.
Starting day two at 0-13, the West Indies lost regular wickets with Lakmal (5-45) the chief destroyer with his fourth five-wicket bag in Tests.
He had skipper Kraigg Brathwaite caught by Dhananjaya de Silva at second slip for three with a ball that moved away from the right-hander, and repeated the feat to dismiss left-handed Kyle Mayers in the same fashion after the latter had compiled a stylish 45.
Lakmal's ability to get the ball to move both ways was again perfectly illustrated as Jermaine Blackwood was bowled by an in-swinger for two, before Holder got an inside edge and had his stumps rattled on 19.
When Alzarri Joseph was caught by Dinesh Chandimal at point trying to drive the tall seamer, Lakmal completed his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests and had the home side reeling at 7-171.
But Cornwall and Da Silva turned the tide of the Test again.
"I know I have good batting skills," the 196cm Cornwall said. "I just tried at first to bat with Joshua, try to get us to a good score and just try to bat myself.
"I was confident.
"I've been putting in some work in the nets with the batting coach and I told myself I have to score some runs, I'm not doing as well as I can do with the bat."