Latest update January 31st, 2025 6:25 AM
Windies v Sri Lanka 3rd Test…Holder (74), Dowrich (71) lead recovery, Roach & Gabriel spearhead Windies fight back
By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Carib Beer,
Noble House Seafoods, Vnet Communication’s
& Bounty Farm
A century sixth wicket stand between Skipper Jason Holder (74) and Shane Dowrich (71) rallied Windies to 204, while pacer Lahiru Kumara grabbed his third four-wicket haul on a rain hit second day of the third and final Day/Test here in Barbados yesterday.
Holder hit 13 fours in 123 balls and 185 minutes for his 74 and shared in crucial 155-run with Wicketkeeper Dowrich, whose 71 lasted 132 balls, 190 minutes and was decorated with nine fours but no other batsmen reached 15 as the Windies fell for 204, 17 minutes before the first break.
Kumara captured 4-58 to take his tally to 15 and was supported by Kasun Rajitha (3-68) and Skipper Suranga Lakmal (2-52).
Sri Lanka were rocked back by Kemar Roach (2-13) who removed the openers with just 16 runs on the board before Danushka Gunathilaka (29 ) and Kusal Mendis (22) halted the slide, but Shannon Gabriel (2-42) left Sri Lanka on 99-5 when rain ended the contest at 21:04hrs.
Shannon Gabriel (centre) and Kemar Roach (left) pulled the game back for the Windies.
©CWI Media
Windies resumed on 132-5 with Dowrich (60) and Holder (33) and they continued to prop up the lower order with resolute batting in sunny conditions on a green track with pleasing bounce and carry.
Holder got going with an elegant on-drive for four off the lively Kumara, while the inform Dowrich, with a century and two fifties in the series, delightfully caressed Lakmal down the ground for his first boundary of the day.
The pair had joined forces when Shai Hope was bowled by Rajitha at 53-5 and once again it was left to the lower for a rival with Holder leading from the front with a confident hook when Lakmal bowled short.
The pair began yesterday with a positive mid-set and the 26-year-old Holder soon reached his seventh half-century with a flowing boundary back past Kumara.
Dowrich, who like Jeff Dujon, began his Test career as a batsman, walked across his wicket and was trapped LBW by Kumara when 39 short of his third ton to break the century stand and leave the score on 168-6.
Devendra Bishoo was tested by Kumara with a succession of nasty short balls which he handled well. Holder danced into the experienced off-spinner Dilruwan Perera and smashed him over mid-off for four and cut Kumara for another boundary to the delight of the small crowd which included a group of English tourists.
Bishoo (0) never suggest permanence to the hostile pace of Kumara and edged him to slip at 183-7, while six runs later Holder was stupendously taken by Perera as Rajitha struck.
Miguel Cummins (2) was caught at short-leg off Perera, while Kumara finished off the innings when he removed Shannon Gabriel (2) as the innings ended 17 minutes before the break.
The visitors were 0-0 from two overs at the interval and after the break Perera nibbled at Kemar Roach and was caught behind for a duck at 1-1.
The left-handed Gunathilaka, who made his debut in the last Test in St Lucia, pushed Gabriel down the ground for the first boundary when the Trinidadian over-pitched.
Roach struck again when he had Lakmal Udawatte (4) LBW at 16-2 but Gunathilaka drove Gabriel sweetly for past mid-off for four and his partnership with Mendis gathered momentum with both batsmen playing fluently as Mendis flicked Cummings for four.
Mendis late cut Roach for a boundary before Gunathilaka was caught at cover with the total on 73 off a Cummings ‘No Ball’ when on 28 before Bishoo was introduced in the twenty-fifth over just before Dinner.
After the break, Mendis with no movement of his feet, played a loose drive and was bowled by Gabriel at 75-3 before Gunathilaka was LBW to Holder for 29 at 81-4 as the Windies pacers struck a couple of telling body blows.
Dhananjaya de Silva (8) was trapped LBW by a pumped Gabriel who ran in and bowled fast to leave the score on 93-5 and register his 19th wicket in this series.
Niroshan Dickwella, who got going with a couple of boundaries, and Roshen Silva joined forces in an attempt to halt the slide but with the score on 99 another shower sent the players off the field.
The only occasion when more Bajans than the seven that played here was in 1954 at Bourda against Australia when eight played.
Scores: WEST INDIES 204 (Jason Holder 74, Shane Dowrich 71; Lahiru Kumara 4-58, Kasun Rajitha 3-68, Suranga Lakmal 2-52).
SRI LANKA 99 for five (Danushka Gunathilaka 29, Kusal Mendis 22; Kemar Roach 2-13, Shannon Gabriel 2-42).
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