PROVIDENCE (Guyana), March 23: Captain Mahela Jayawardene guided Sri Lanka to 330 for five at lunch on the second day of the first Test against West Indies here on Sunday.Jayawardene, who resumed on 25 in Sri Lanka’s overnight 269 for four, batted patiently throughout the first session to reach the interval on 59 not out from 145 deliveries.

Wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene provided support, finishing on 21 not out.

The sixth-wicket pair shared an unbroken 53-run stand during a slow morning session.

Tillekeratne Dilshan was the only player dismissed in the session, trapped lbw for 20 by fast bowler Jerome Taylor.

Taylor was again the most successful bowler, claiming four for 73 from 27 overs. Opener Malinda Warnapura top-scored on the first day with a fine 120, his maiden Test century.

The 28-year-old left-hander, nephew of Sri Lanka’s first Test captain Bandula Warnapura, was particularly strong through the offside and clubbed 14 boundaries off 216 balls in four and a half hours at Providence Stadium.

Fellow left-handers Michael Vandort (52) and Kumar Sangakkara (50) also made solid contributions.

Vandort hit eight fours and notched 1,000 runs in his 15th Test before his dismissal.

Sangakkara counted three boundaries before he fell to the impressive Taylor.

Warnapura and Vandort gave Sri Lanka a fine start after Jayawardene won the toss. The new pair shared a record opening stand of 130 either side of lunch.

The pair beat the previous best for Sri Lanka against West Indies of 126 between Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya in St Lucia on their last tour in 2003.

West Indies struggled during the first session and the visitors lunched at 85 without loss.

Vandort survived an early run-out chance but there was little encouragement for the home team in the first two hours.

West Indies managed its first strike midway through the day when Vandort was leg before to an inswinging yorker from Taylor.

But Warnapura and Sangakkara continued Sri Lanka’s dominance in a second-wicket stand of 75.

Warnapura brought up his maiden century half an hour before tea off 182 balls. He survived one chance on 95 when Bravo at slip floored an edge off Chris Gayle’s off-spin. He finally fell to a leg side catch to the wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin off Bravo.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene, the heart of Sri Lanka’s batting, were threatening total dominance when Taylor tilted the balance.

Sangakkara had just raised his bat for a half century when Taylor found his edge to a flashing drive and Devon Smith held on at first slip.

Two balls later, Thilan Samaraweera chipped a Taylor slower ball to short midwicket and West Indies was back in the contest.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 269-4):

M.G. Vandort lbw b Taylor 52

B.S.M. Warnapura c Ramdin b Bravo..120

K.C. Sangakkara c Smith b Taylor 50

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene not out 59

T.T. Samaraweera c sub b Taylor 0

T.M. Dilshan lbw b Taylor 20

H.A.P.W. Jayawardene not out 21

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-1, NB-2) 8

TOTAL (for five wkts, 120 overs) 330

FALL OF WKTS: 1-130, 2-205, 3-243, 4-243, 5-277.

TO BAT: W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, M.T.T. Mirando, H.M.R.K.B. Herath, M. Muralitharan.

BOWLING (to-date): Powell 21-2-73-0; Taylor 27-8-73-4; Gayle 16-2-38-0; Bravo 25-3-57-1 (2nb, 1w); Benn 28-5-74-0; Hinds 3-0-10-0.

WEST INDIES: C.H. Gayle, D.S. Smith, R.R. Sarwan, M.N. Samuels, S. Chanderpaul, R.O. Hinds, D.J. Bravo, D. Ramdin, S.J. Benn, J.E. Taylor, D.B.L. Powell.

UMPIRES: B.F. Bowden (New Zealand) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: C.R. Duncan (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).—Agencies