ST JOHN’S, Antigua – With venomous pace and relentless accuracy, West Indies Academy dismantled Sri Lanka Emerging Players to secure a resounding innings-and-26-run victory just after lunch on day three of their second four-day encounter at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
After establishing a commanding first-innings lead of 133 runs, the home side wasted no time in pressing their advantage. The visitors, resuming precariously on 1 for 1, crumbled under pressure and were skittled for a paltry 107 in only 25.1 overs — a testament to the Academy’s dominant display with the ball.
Pitman and Smith deliver the knockout blows
Right-arm pacers Kelvin Pitman and Raneico Smith were the architects of Sri Lanka’s swift demise, each snaring three wickets to leave the tourists shell-shocked and without answers.
Pitman, unerring in line and length, claimed 3 for 22, while Smith, who consistently hit awkward lengths, returned figures of 3 for 29. The duo’s incisive spells up front reduced the visitors to 27 for four inside the opening hour.
Early collapse sets the tone
The slide began almost immediately. Left-arm seamer Nathan Edward struck with just the fourth delivery of the day, trapping Dilum Sudeera lbw for a duck. Pitman then had opener Shevon Daniel caught for 11, before Smith joined the action by removing Sohan de Livera to leave the Sri Lankans in deep trouble.
Smith would go on to add two more scalps — Ahan Wickramasinghe and Anjala Bandara — as Sri Lanka slipped to a hopeless 64 for seven.
Lakshan stands alone in defiance
The lone bright spark for the visitors came in the form of captain Dhananjaya Lakshan, who counterpunched his way to a brisk, composed half-century. His innings — the only one to reach the 50-mark — provided a flicker of resistance and a glimpse of leadership under duress.
Lakshan found some support from Melan Hasanka, with whom he added 37 for the eighth wicket, briefly raising hopes of pushing the contest into a fourth day and possibly forcing the Academy to bat again.
Motara closes the door
However, the revival was short-lived. Leg-spinner Zishan Motara, introduced to clean up the tail, struck a critical blow when he pinned Lakshan lbw, breaking the back of the resistance. The end came swiftly after that, with Motara finishing with 2 for 4 in just 2.1 overs, and Edward wrapping things up with his second wicket.
With this dominant victory, West Indies Academy leveled the series in emphatic fashion, showcasing their growing depth and discipline. The pacers’ firepower, coupled with sharp support from the spinners, proved too much for a Sri Lankan outfit that had no answers beyond their defiant captain.
The final match of the series now promises to be a riveting decider as both teams look to seize momentum and assert their credentials on the emerging players’ stage.
