Kumar Sangakkara hit 135 not out in between frustrating rain delays as hosts Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the second cricket Test against the West Indies on Sunday. The left-hander's eighth Test century enabled Sri Lanka to close the rain-hit third day on 340 for seven in their second knock, an overall lead of 342 with three wickets in hand.
The hosts have two days - provided the weather holds - to force a result and sweep the short two-match series after taking the first Test in Colombo by six wickets.
The second-string West Indians, missing 10 top players including master batsman Brian Lara due to a sponsorship row at home, will find the pace of Chaminda Vaas and the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan hard to tackle in the fourth innings on the wearing wicket.
The Sri Lankans have not yet declared and put the West Indies in to bat, mainly to enable Vaas to recover from a mild hamstring injury he suffered while bowling on Saturday.
Only 56.5 overs of the stipulated 90 were bowled during the entire day as heavy rain drenched this popular hill resort and forced the harried ground staff at the Asgiriya stadium to work overtime to dry the outfield.
Umpires Simon Taufel of Australia and Tony Hill of New Zealand rescheduled the lunch and tea breaks to accommodate as much play as possible in the brief dry spells.
Bad weather due to the prevailing monsoons also hit the second day's play on Saturday when only 61.1 overs were bowled.
Tillekeratne Dilshan put on 109 for the fifth wicket with Sangakkara after West Indian fast bowler Jermaine Lawson struck twice in three balls when the morning session began an hour and 45 minutes behind schedule.
Lawson clean-bowled Mahela Jayawardena for 43 to end a third-wicket stand of 98 with Sangakkara.
Two balls later, Lawson had Thilan Samaraweera caught down the leg-side by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin for zero as the hosts slipped from their overnight 146 for two to 155 for four.
Dilshan made 49 before he was dismissed against the run of play, snapped up in the slips by Runako Morton while attempting to cut off-spinner Omari Banks.
Sangakkara, who began the day on 46, reached the three-figure mark midway through the final session and celebrated by pumping his fists in the air.
It was a timely return to form for the left-hander ahead of the three-nation one-day series against India and the West Indies starting in Dambulla on Saturday.
Sangakkara, who occupies the vital number three position besides donning the wicket-keeper's gloves, had scored 34, zero and six in three previous innings in the series.
He has so far batted for six hours and hit 19 boundaries in his 266-ball effort.
The West Indian frustration in the field came to a boil when fast bowler Tino Best hurled down a beamer which narrowly missed batsman Sangakkara's head.
Umpire Hill, standing in his first Test, prevented a flare-up by speaking to Best.
SRI LANKA (1st innings): 150 (T. Samaraweera 37, T. Dilshan 36, D. Powell 5-25, T. Best 3-50):
WEST INDIES (1st innings): 148 (N. Deonarine 40, C. Vaas 6-22, M. Muralitharan 2-37):
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SRI LANKA (2nd innings - overnight 146-2):
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S. Jayasuriya c Morton b Lawson 36
M. Atapattu c Banks b Powell 19
K. Sangakkara not out 135
M. Jayawardena b Lawson 43
T. Samaraweera c Ramdin b Lawson 0
T. Dilshan c Morton b Banks 49
G. Wijekoon b Powell 12
C. Vaas b Banks 19
R. Herath not out 4
EXTRAS: (B-4, LB-5, NB-8, W-6) 23
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TOTAL: (for seven wickets) 340
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