A four-wicket haul from Ramesh Mendis left West Indies reeling at 52/6 by the end of day 4. They need another 296 to win, or bat out the entire day to salvage a draw. Both look far-fetched, unless it rains.
The West Indies batters looked clueless against Mendis and Lasith Embuldeniya, who claimed the other two wickets. Kraigg Brathwaite was first to fall, trapped leg-before by Mendis. Shai Hope was bowled for 3, while Jason Holder became Mendis' fourth victim.
Holder's dismissal reduced the West Indies to 18/6. Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva then ensured no further loss of wickets as West Indies finished on 52/6.
Earlier, fifties from Dimuth Karunaratne (83) and Angelo Mathews (69*) propelled Sri Lanka to 191/4 before they Karunaratne struck nine fours, often employing the sweep to counter the spin threat.
There is a rain forecast for tomorrow, but it should not take Sri Lanka more than a session to wrap things up.
Betway Fantasy Tips
- Place your bet on Sri Lanka, as they should easily win the game.
- The spinners will dominate the last day of the play, so pick Mendis and Embuldeniya in the side.