Sri Lanka v West Indies: 2nd Test, Day Three - Part-time spinner Brathwaite's six-for gives WI hope

Kraigg Brathwaite (C) celebrating one of his six wickets in the second innings

Day Three of the 2^nd Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies was shortened because of heavy rains in Colombo. Because of showers in the post-lunch session of the day, the umpires took an early tea after the fall of the first West Indies wicket.

West Indies were chasing a total of 244 after they managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 206 runs. This was thanks to a brilliant bowling performance from part-time off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite, who picked up six wickets to aid Sri Lanka's downfall. Jomel Warrican and Jerome Taylor picked up two wickets each.

Starting the third day on a stable 76-2, Sri Lanka lost both Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal in the space of two balls. Milinda Siriwardana and captain Angelo Mathews stabilised the hosts’ innings as they put on a 67-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Siriwardana played a breezy knock as he scored 42 runs off 60 balls which included three fours and two sixes. Mathews, on the other hand, played the anchor role as he made a patient 46 off 120 balls. The captain missed out on scoring his fifth fifty-plus score in five Tests he has played at the P Sara Oval.

Brathwaite ran through the Sri Lankan lower middle order and tail as he picked up all the remaining six wickets. Sri Lanka lost their last six wickets for only 55 runs. The last four fell for just 11 runs.

The West Indies opener had only picked up three wickets in the 81 First-Class matches he had played before this Test. Jermaine Blackwood had five catches to his name, with four of those off the bowling of Brathwaite.

However, Brathwaite's woes with batting continued as he struggled for 26 balls to score three runs. He lost his wicket to Dhammika Prasad just before tea. Brathwaite's fellow opener, Shai Hope, seemed to play with positive intent as he scored 17 of West Indies’ 20 runs.

Interesting numbers from Day Three:

6 - Kraigg Brathwaite's six-wicket haul at the P Sara Oval is the second best bowling performance by a West Indies bowler against Sri Lanka in Tests. Corey Collymore's 7-57 in 2003 is the best bowling performance.

1975 - The last time a West Indian spinner had better bowling figures than Kraigg Brathwaite. Lance Gibbs had taken 7-98 against India.

12.80 - The batting average of Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal at the P Sara Oval.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka 200 (Siriwardana 68; Warrican 4-67) & 206 (Mathews 46; Brathwaite 6-29)

West Indies 163 (Brathwaite 47; Prasad 4-34) & 20-1 (Hope 17*; Prasad 1-4)