West Indies Thrashed By Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews (second right) congratulates Rangana Herath (second left) after the spinner’s ten-wicket haul helped his side to a comfortable victory over West Indies. Photograph: Pamod Nilru/AP

By NAN Sports Writer

News Americas, GALLE, Sri Lanka, Mon.  Oct. 19, 2015:  The West Indies were forced to endure another loss after they were thrashed by the Sri Lanka cricket squad in less than four days in the first test match.

The once mighty Windies were beaten by an innings and six runs in the opening Test at Galle on Saturday, with Rangana Herath leading the victory charge by claiming the fifth 10-wicket haul of his career.

The touring side, who have never won a Test match in Sri Lanka, were bundled out for 227 in their second innings in the afternoon session, after being forced to follow on by the hosts.

After resuming on 67- for two, West Indies lost the nightwatchman, Devendra Bishoo in the left-arm spinner Herath’s third over, before the experienced batsman Marlon Samuels was out lbw off the first ball he faced. Samuels did not offer a shot to a straight delivery and surprisingly, decided to challenge the umpire’s decision, wasting a review in the process. Herath’s hat-trick ball was fended away by Blackwood.

West Indies’ hopes of avoiding a heavy defeat rested on Darren Bravo, who scored a 50 in the first innings, but the left-hander edged Nuwan Pradeep behind for 31, vindicating the decision by Sri Lanka’s captain, Angelo Mathews, to allow the paceman one more over.

Blackwood and the wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin stitched together a dogged 48-run stand for the sixth wicket before Siriwardena ended the pair’s resistance when Ramdin edged a catch to Kaushal Silva at second slip.

The two sides face-off again in the second match of the two-Test series in Colombo on Thursday.