Paranavitana misses century as first test drawn

Opener Tharanga Paranavitana missed out on a century as the first test between Sri Lanka and West Indies was drawn on Friday after rain washed out the final session on the fifth day.

Paranavitana fell for 95 as the hosts reached tea on 241 for four, a lead of 39. No resumption of play was possible after the break.

Paranavitana and Mahela Jayawardene dug in with a third wicket stand of 87 on the final day to help secure a draw after Sri Lanka had followed on. West Indies had made 580 for nine declared in their first innings and then dismissed the home side for 378.

Spinner Shane Shillingford spoiled Paranavitana’s hopes of a century, inducing him into edging a simple catch to Darren Sammy at slip.

Jayawardene moved to his second half-century of the match by straight driving part-time spinner Brendan Nash for six but fell for 58 to the same bowler eight balls later when he drove too early and hit back a low return catch.

Thilan Samaraweera (19) and Angelo Mathews (5) were together when light rain forced the players to take an early tea.

West Indies started brightly and struck two early blows in the morning when Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara were dismissed within two overs of each other.

Dilshan and Paranavitana shared an opening stand of 102 before West Indies broke through, Kemar Roach producing an unplayable yorker to uproot Dilshan’s off stump when he had scored 54.

Sangakkara (4) virtually threw his wicket away soon after when he went for an extravagant drive to a ball wide of the stumps from Roach and was caught by Sammy in the gully.

West Indies missed the chance of removing Paranavitana on 53 when Sammy, at slip, failed to hold onto an edge off Shillingford.

The second test starts in Colombo on Nov. 23.