Kraigg Brathwaite's defiance and more inclement weather ensured a draw on the final day of the second Test between the West Indies and Sri Lanka at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Monday. On a day when their captain, Dinesh Chandimal, who has been charged by umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould with ball tampering on the second day of the match, is likely to know his fate, the tourists stayed focused on events on the field in reducing the home side to 64 for four in early afternoon after setting the West Indies an unlikely victory target of 296.
However Brathwaite's obdurate, unbeaten 59, with support from Shai Hope and captain Jason Holder ensured that the showers which came in the final session, coupled with deteriorating light, eliminated the Sri Lankans' chances of levelling the series.
Shannon Gabriel took the last two wickets of the Sri Lankan second innings within minutes of the start of play to finish with the outstanding innings analysis of eight for 62 and match figures of 13 for 121, the third-best by a West Indian in Tests and the best-ever by a Caribbean bowler in home conditions.
When he wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings for 342 by bowling Akila Dananjaya, Gabriel also reached the landmark of 100 Test wickets.
Kasun Rajitha, the debutant fast-medium bowler who claimed three wickets in the first innings, rocked the West Indies with the wickets of Devon Smith and Kieran Powell within the space of three deliveries at the start of the final innings of the match. Senior seamer Suranga Lakmal accounted for Roston Chase and Hope but time ran out on the striving Sri Lankans and they were left frustrated by the weather, which once again closed in during the final session and leaves them trailing in the series ahead of the final Test in Barbados, beginning on Saturday.
Scoreboard
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Sri Lanka 1st Innings 253
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West Indies 1st Innings 300
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Sri Lanka 2nd Innings - overnight 334-8
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K. Perera c wkpr Dowrich b Gabriel 20
M. Udawatte c Bishoo b Roach 19
K. Rajitha lbw Gabriel 0
D. de Silva c Smith b Gabriel 3
K. Mendis b Gabriel 87
D. Chandimal c wkpr Dowrich b Roach 39
R. Silva c wkpr Dowrich b Gabriel 48
N. Dickwella c Powell b Gabriel 62
A. Dananjaya b Gabriel 23
S. Lakmal lbw Gabriel 7
L. Kumara not out 0
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Extras: (b-12, lb-8, nb-11, w-3) 34
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Total: (91.4 overs, all out) 342
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Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Perera), 2-34 (Rajitha), 3-44 (de Silva), 4-48 (Udawatte), 5-165 (Chandimal), 6-199 (Mendis), 7-298 (Silva), 8-307 (Dickwella), 9-334 (Lakmal), 10-342 (Dananjaya)
Bowling: K. Roach 21-3-78-2 (2nb), S. Gabriel 20.4-6-62-8 (4nb), J. Holder 15-5-38-0 (2nb, 3w), M. Cummins 13-1-44-0 (3nb), D. Bishoo 11-0-58-0, R. Chase 10-1-38-0, K. Brathwaite 1-0-4-0
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West Indies 2nd Innings
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K. Brathwaite not out 59
D. Smith c de Silva b Rajitha 1
K. Powell c Udawatte b Rajitha 2
S. Hope b Lakmal 39
R. Chase b Lakmal 13
S. Dowrich c de Silva b Dananjaya 8
J. Holder not out 15
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Extras: (b-10) 10
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Total: (60.3 overs, 5 wkts) 147
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