Cricket: Sri Lanka rocked before Vaas fight-back

COLOMBO - Pace bowler Jermaine Lawson rocked Sri Lanka by taking four wickets to help West Indies to a 58-run first-innings lead on day two of the first test.

Lawson, returning to the side after a back injury, bowled with pace and hostility on a generally docile pitch. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 227 in reply to West Indies' 285.

Chaminda Vaas struck back for the hosts with the new ball, however, trapping Xavier Marshall (two) and Runako Morton (0) lbw with late swinging dippers.

Muttiah Muralitharan followed up with the wicket of Sylvester Joseph for two, caught minutes before bad light stopped play, reducing West Indies to a precarious 17 for three in their second innings.

"The pitch is alright but we didn't bat well," said Vaas.

"The top order are playing for the first time after a while and they also need to get their rhythm. Hopefully, they will bat better in the second innings.

"We have to bowl really well now in the second innings and get them out for under 150. If we do that we will have a good chance of winning," he said.

Sri Lanka had grabbed the initiative early in the day, needing just 6.4 overs to take West Indies' last four wickets.

But West Indies, the underdogs before the start after a contractual dispute meant 10 leading players missed the tour, fought back.

Sangakkara scored a brisk 34 from 48 balls with four fours, before off spinner Omari Banks had him caught behind a few minutes before lunch.

Tillakaratne Dilshan cracked an aggressive 32 from 31 balls, hitting seven boundaries, to add 44 for the fifth wicket with Thilan Samaraweera (11).

But Banks triggered a collapse when Dilshan prodded a catch to short leg and Samaraweera fell in the next over after top edging a hook off Lawson.

Lawson returned just before tea to dismiss Rangana Herath (24) courtesy of an acrobatic diving catch from 19-year-old wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

The 23-year-old was also required to end stiff resistance from Sri Lanka's lower as Vaas scored 49 and Muralitharan clubbed an entertaining 36 before being bowled by a Lawson yorker.

"I have been out of cricket for a long while but I am feeling pretty happy about things at the moment," Lawson told reporters.

"To come back in this match and take four wickets was a good achievement," he added.

"At this point, we have some batters to come and the captain is there and we are just looking for a good total.

"We would be good to leave them chasing something like 300 but whatever we get we will just have to go out there and defend it." Earlier in the day, West Indies added only 14 runs to their overnight 271 for six.

Vaas started the collapse by trapping Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw for 69 with a swinging delivery.

- REUTERS