Lankans follow on

Chris DHAMBARAGE reporting from Galle

Sri Lanka were battling to save the opening Test match after they were forced to follow on by the West Indies on the fourth day at the Galle International Stadium yesterday.

The home side was dismissed for 378 runs in reply to the West Indies massive first innings total of 580 runs while falling short by just three runs to avoid the follow on mark.

Sri Lanka of course made a much better start in their second innings with the openers Tharanga Paranavithana and Tillekeratne Dilshan putting on 89 runs before rain halted play early with 22 overs still to be bowled.

Both batsmen finished on the identical score of 44 having struck four boundaries each. However Sri Lanka still trail by 113 runs and the fifth and final days play will commence at 9.45am today.

Earlier wicket keeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardena was the last man out for a fighting knock of 58 from 88 deliveries inclusive of one six and four boundaries. He also put on a fifty run stand for the eighth wicket along with Dhammika Prasad who hit a career best 47, studded with two sixes and 6 boundaries.

Mahela Jayawardena departed during the first hour of the day for a patient 59 from 104 deliveries. Sri Lanka then slumped to 264 for 5 at lunch following the dismissal of Thilan Samaraweera (52)and Angelo Mathews (27).

WEST INDIES 
1st innings 580-9 decl 
(C. Gayle 333, A. Mendis 6-169)

SRI LANKA 
1st innings (overnight 165-3)
T. Paranavitana b Roach 		10
T. Dilshan c Shillingford b Russell 	 0
K. Sangakkara b Dwayne Bravo 		73
M. Jayawardene c Baugh b Roach 		59
T. Samaraweera run out 			52
A. Mathews c Sammy b Shillingford 	27
P. Jayawardene c Roach b Shillingford 	58
S. Randiv b Shillingford 		12
D. Prasad c Russell b Shillingford 	47
A. Mendis c Darren Bravo b Roach 	 4
T. Thushara not out 			 4

EXTRAS (b8, lb8, nb13, w3) 		32
TOTAL (for all out; 95.2 overs) 	378
BOWLING: Roach 19-2-75-3 (nb3), Russell 15-1-73-1 (nb9, w3), Shillingford 33.2-3-123-4,
 Sammy 11-2-41-0, Dwayne Bravo 16-4-47-1 (nb1), Gayle 1-0-3-0.

Sri Lanka 
2nd innings:
T. Paranavitana not out 		44
T. Dilshan not out 			44
EXTRAS (w1) 				 1
TOTAL (for no loss) 			89
BOWLING: Roach 6-0-18-0, Russell 2-0-17-0 (w1), Dwayne Bravo 7-0-30-0, Shillingford 5-0-20-0, Sammy 2-0-4-0.