A superb unbeaten 153 from Dhananjaya de Silva has put Sri Lanka in a strong position to dictate terms on the final day of the second Test against the West Indies
Match Report:
ScorecardDhananjaya dominance has Sri Lanka in charge
Sri Lanka have finished the fourth day an imposing 279 runs ahead of the West Indies after a stubborn 107-run stand between centurion Dhananjaya de Silva and No.10 batter Lasith Embuldeniya in the second Test.
The pair's unbroken ninth-wicket stand on Thursday tore the momentum from the West Indies and put Sri Lanka back in charge, with the home side set for an early declaration on the final day to set up a push for a second straight victory following their first Test triumph.
Sri Lanka were teetering on 8-221 in their second innings and leading by only 172 when Embuldeniya joined de Silva, who was on 80 and facing a new ball only three overs old.
But they got to tea, and kept on going, frustrating the tourists to still be there at stumps on 8-328, with de Silva, who made his eighth Test ton, still there at the close on 153 not out from 259 deliveries, which featured 11 boundaries and two sixes.
Embuldeniya, working just as hard in support, was 25 not out after 110 balls. His only six, straight back over the head of spinner Roston Chase, brought up their century stand in the day's second-to-last over.
De Silva was also involved in important partnerships of 78 for the fourth wicket with Pathum Nissanka, and 51 for the sixth with Ramesh Mendis.
Nissanka's second half-century of the match ended on the last ball before lunch, lbw for 66 off 154 deliveries. He had also made 73 in the first innings.
Sri Lanka resumed on 2-46 and went to lunch at 4-151, leading by 102.
The West Indies had seized the initiative when Dinesh Chandimal was caught and bowled by Chase for 2, Mendis was caught in the deep off captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Suranga Lakmal was trapped for 7, and an injured Angelo Mathews, batting at nine, edged to the slips on 1.
Veerasammy Permaul had the best bowling figures of 3-100 off 39 overs, with Chase taking 2-82 off 27.
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