Lasith Embuldeniya took five wickets in the final innings as hosts Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 187 runs in the first Test in Galle on Thursday to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Chasing a massive target of 348, West Indies were bowled out for 160 before tea on the final day, with Nkrumah Bonner the lone crusader with an unbeaten 68 at the turning wicket at the Galle International Stadium.
Bonner was one of only three West Indies batsmen to make it to double digits, along with Joshua da Silva scoring 54, and Rahkim Cornwall scoring 13.
Sri Lanka took a 156-run lead in the first innings, thanks to Dimuth Karunaratne’s 147 and Praveen Jayavikrama’s four-for, helping bundle out the visitors for 230.
With rain washed away a few games and storm clouds threatening, Karunaratne scored 83 in Sri Lanka’s second innings, with Angelo Mathews scoring 69, to set up a hill work for West Indies to win.
On the fourth day, the hosts’ spin trio acted swiftly on the West Indies top order and saw the tourists lose four wickets for just four runs in 15 balls.
West Indies scored 52 for six at the start of the final day with Bonner and da Silva scoring 100, West Indies’ highest partnership of the match.
Despite considerable support from the wicket, both the batsmen handled the Sri Lankan spin menace well with clever use of footwork.
Sri Lanka also missed three chances each time with the guilty side Pathum Nissenka.
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It was a crucial seventh-wicket partnership for the tourists as they were reduced to 18 for six on the fourth day.
At the time, West Indies were in danger of being knocked out for their lowest score in Test cricket with the game ending within four days.
His lowest score was 47 against England in Jamaica in 2004.
Sri Lanka dismissed da Silva 15 minutes before lunch when he was caught at slip by Dhananjaya de Silva and gave Embuldeniya his third wicket in the innings. Da Silva scored 54 runs in 129 balls and it included five fours.
For 41, Bonner was given leg-out before the wicket to Ramesh Mendis, but the batsman successfully reviewed the decision.
But West Indies, chasing their maiden Test victory in Sri Lanka, collapsed after lunch.
Embuldeniya took five wickets while Mendis supplemented him with four wickets.
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