HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka (CMC) – An impressive century stand for the eighth wicket between Shane Shillingford and Nikita Miller averted an innings defeat but offered little hope of a significant comeback as West Indies-A suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss to Sri Lanka A on the fourth day of their opening four-day ‘Test’ yesterday. 

Shillingford and Miller spearheaded a tail-end rally to reverse a batting slump before Sri Lanka mopped up the remaining resistance and coasted to an easy target without losing a wicket in the morning session at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium.
Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Jehan Mubarak got the 34 runs required for victory in only 4.3 overs after West Indies, resuming from an overnight 267 for seven, were bowled out for 285 in their second innings.
Shillingford and Miller help the visitors avert an innings defeat on the third day with a powerful half-century stand for the eighth wicket which matured into a 106-run stand on the final day.
Shillingford, 56 overnight, was bowled by Vishwa Fernando for a well-played 63 highlighted by three fours and five sixes while Miller, 37 overnight, also perished from the bowling of Fernando.
Miller struck four fours and a six in his knock of 46 as the West Indies-A were only able to add 18 more runs on the fourth morning, with the tail-enders seeking to consolidate on a top score of 77 from Test batsman Kirk Edwards while Jermaine Blackwood contributed 39.
Dimuth Karunaratne, whose century in the first innings had helped to put on a strong total, and Seekkuge Prasanna, who returned with a match-haul of nine wickets were the outstanding players for Sri Lanka who lead the three-match series one–nil while the next match is scheduled to start on Saturday in Matara.