COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CMC) – A half-century from Carlton Baugh Jr, and a few meaningless wickets for Sri Lanka’s bowlers enlivened another day spoilt by the weather, as West Indies and Sri Lanka had to settle for a draw in the second Test yesterday.
Baugh hit an even 50, as West Indies, replying to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 387 for nine declared, were dismissed for 243 just before the rescheduled tea break on the fifth and final day.
West Indies merely went through the motions, as the Sri Lankans declared on 57 for one in their second innings leaving to visitors to negotiate 21 overs before the close.
Chasing a highly improbable, if not impossible target of 202, West Indies lost openers Chris Gayle and Adrian Barath before reaching 12 for two in their second innings when bad light stopped play 10 overs early.
The result meant the three-Test series remains level 0-0, after the first Test was also affected by rain, and ended in a draw.
The final and deciding Test, starts on Wednesday at Pallekelle.
“If we look at the series, it is still 0-0, so we have everything to play for (in the next Test),” said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
“Darren Bravo, Kemar Roach (both in the first innings), and Baugh all played well. It’s been a long time we are going into the final Test 0-0, and the players are looking forward to it.”
West Indies continued from their overnight 165 for five, after the total washout of the fourth day on Friday.
Baugh batted with unusual control to reach his 50 from 101 balls, when he pushed a delivery from Ajantha Mendis into the covers for a single.
Twice he challenged umpiring decisions for lbw verdicts off Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath before reaching the landmark.
Baugh added a valuable 44 with Dwayne Bravo for the sixth wicket, which ensured Sri Lanka needed to bat again.
Bravo was stumped off Herath for 20 to trigger a mini-collapse in which West Indies captain Darren Sammy was caught at mid-wicket for two off Suranga Lakmal, and Sulieman Benn was caught at forward short leg for a duck off Herath.
West Indies slid from 205 for five to 209 for eight in the space of 12 balls before Baugh halted the slide, when he dominated a stand of 31 with Shane Shillingford to reach his landmark before Herath bowled him.
Herath was the most successful Sri Lanka bowler with three wickets for 76 runs from 23 overs.
West Indies seemed indifferent about returning for another meaningless spell in the field, and Sri Lanka’s openers Tharanga Paranavitana and Tillkaratne Dilshan indulged themselves.
But Dwayne Bravo had Dilshan caught behind down the leg-side for 26, and the home team soon after declared.
Things got intriguing, when Mendis trapped Adrian Barath lbw for eight, and Dilshan had Chris Gayle caught at slip for three, but the weather intervened to spoil the fun.

SRI LANKA 1st innings 387 for nine declared
WEST INDIES 1st innings (o/n 165 for five)
C. Gayle c Mathews b Lakmal    30
A. Barath lbw b Kulasekara    3
D.M. Bravo c Herath b Dilshan    80
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Mendis    8
B. Nash lbw b Dilshan    29
D.J. Bravo stp. P. Jayawardene b Herath    20
C. Baugh b Herath    50
D. Sammy c Mathews b Lakmal    2
S. Benn c Paranavitana b Herath    0
S. Shillingford not out    5
K. Roach b Mendis    3
Extras: (lb-5, nb-8)    13
Total: (all out, 71.3 overs)    243
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-51, 3-77, 4-160, 5-161, 6-205, 7-208, 8-209, 9-240.
Bowling: Mendis 16.3-1-56-2 (nb-3), Lakmal 16-1-84-2 (nb-5), Kulasekara 11-5-17-1, Herath 23-3-76-3, Mathews 3-2-1-0, Dilshan 2-0-4-2.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings
T. Paranvitana not out 20
T. Dilshan c wkp. Baugh b D.J. Bravo    26
K. Sangakkara not out    1
Extras: (b-5, lb-4, nb-1)    10
Total: (1 wkt decl’d, 15 overs)    57
Fall of wickets: 1-55.
Bowling: Roach 5-0-15-0, Sammy 4-1-16-0, D.J. Bravo 4-1-8-1 (w-1), Benn 2-0-9-0.

WEST INDIES 2nd innings (target: 202 runs)
C. Gayle c M. Jayawardene b Dilshan    3
A. Barath lbw b Mendis    8
D.M. Bravo not out    0
S. Chanderpaul not out    0
Extras: (nb-1)    1
Total: (2 wkts, 11 overs)    12
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-11.
Bowling: Lakmal 2-0-7-0, Dilshan 5-2-4-1, Mendis 3-2-1-1 (nb-1), Herath 1-1-0-0.