Brave WI steady after Gayle’s duck

Bad light, rain mar opening day of final Test.

PALLEKELE: Darren Bravo hit an impressive 63 not out for his third half-century to boost the West Indies in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka.

The tourists scored 134 for two at close as only 40 overs were possible in the day due to bad light and rain.

Bravo, who made 58 and 80 in the first two Tests, cracked nine fours to steady the innings after the first-ball dismissal of Chris Gayle. He put on 115 for the second wicket with opener Devon Smith, who hit a solid 55 before being trapped leg-before by unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis in the final session. The batsman hit seven fours in his fifth Test half-century.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, trying to play a big knock after making 40 runs in two completed innings of the series, was unbeaten on 11. Bravo impressed as he fluently drove Dilhara Fernando through the covers for a boundary and then hit seamer Angelo Mathews for two fours. AFP

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2010.