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Herath wreaks havoc as WI scramble to save Test

Sri Lanka still 166 runs ahead as visitors end day 67-2 after following on

Afp October 16, 2015

Herath tormented the West Indies batsmen at Galle, claiming a total of seven wickets in the day. PHOTO: AFP

GALLE: Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath took six wickets as the West Indies were forced to follow on after being bowled out for 251 on day three of the first Test on Friday.

Herath finished with figures of 6-68 off 33 overs — his 23rd five-wicket haul in Tests — as the West Indies were all out shortly after the tea break.

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews then forced the tourists to bat again and score 233 to avoid an innings defeat.

Resuming in the morning at 66-2, West Indies batsmen fell regularly throughout the day against some tight Sri Lankan bowling, with only Darren Bravo and Jerome Taylor offering significant resistance.

Read: Comfortably ahead Sri Lanka in control after dismissing West Indies’ openers

Bravo batted confidently to make the highest score of 50 but was dismissed to a sharp catch by Dinesh Chandimal off Herath just before lunch.

Taylor scored a quickfire 31, including four boundaries and a six, as he enjoyed a 46-run partnership with Roach. He eventually fell to off spinner Tharindu Kaushal.

After going in at tea on 241-8, the West Indies only managed to put another 10 runs with the 37-year-old Herath picking up the last two wickets.

Read: Karunaratne ton puts Sri Lanka in charge on day one

Roach (22) was the first to fall after the break, courtesy of a smart stumping by wicketkeeper Kusal Janith Perera off Herath after adding 34 for the ninth wicket with Devendra Bishoo.

In the very next ball Herath knocked over the last man Shannon Gabriel’s stumps for a golden duck. Bishoo was left not out on 23.

It went from bad to worse for the visitors as they lost their openers before the close of play as Milinda Siriwardana claimed his first Test wicket when Shai Hope played on after making just six runs.

Herath then inevitably got into the act by dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite to leave the West Indies on an almost identical overnight score of 67-2 to that of Thursday’s 66-2.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2015.

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