Debutant Pathum Nissanka scored his maiden Test century as Sri Lanka turned the tables on the West Indies on Day 4 of the first Test. Nissanka’s 103, along with wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella’s 96, helped the Lankans score 476 runs and post a target of 375 for the hosts.
West Indies were put in to bat for 20 overs and were 34/1 at stumps.
The Windies made a solid start in pursuit of the target but lost John Campbell for 11 — well caught low down by Dickwella off pacer Dushmantha Chameera. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite will resume on Thursday morning on eight not out and with him Nkrumah Bonner on 15 not out with West Indies needing another 340 runs to win.
The day began well for the West Indies, with Alzarri Joseph picking a wicket off the fifth ball of the day with the new ball.
Nissanka and Dickwella came together at that point and batted through almost all of the first and second sessions in a partnership which produced 179 runs for the sixth wicket. Dickwella surpassed his previous highest Test score of 92 but five balls later, he was struck a blow on the helmet by Roach and the ball dropped and spun back, hitting the stumps without removing the bails. He was rattled and Roach produced another excellent delivery to bowl him off the inside edge in the following over.
Nissanka reached his century off 240 balls and with six fours. He is the fourth Sri Lankan to make a century on Test debut and the first to do so outside Sri Lanka. He eventually fell skying a catch to Roach from the bowling of off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall, who ended with 3/137 off a marathon 42.5 overs. He took the last two wickets off consecutive balls.
Roach proved to be the best bowler with 3/74 off 27 overs to end the match with six wickets — following up his 3/47 off 16 overs in the first innings.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 169 all out & 476 all out (Pathum Nissanka 103, Niroshan Dickwella 96, Oshada Fernando 91; Kemar Roach 3/74) vs West Indies 271 all out and 34/1 (Nkrumah Bonner 15 batting; Vishwa Fernando 1/21)