Shillingford, Roach help Windies gain big lead

Inexperienced Shane Shillingford and Kemar Roach shared seven wickets to help the West Indies gain a big lead in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Off-spinner Shillingford finished with 4-123, his maiden four-wicket haul in four Tests, and paceman Roach took 3-75 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 378 in their first innings in reply to the West Indies' 580-9 declared.

Following on, Sri Lanka batted steadily in their second innings to reach 89 for no loss at stumps to keep alive their hopes of salvaging a draw. They now trail by 113 runs with all wickets in hand.

Tharanga Paranavitana and Tillakaratne Dilshan were unbeaten on 44 each before rain stopped play, with 22 overs remaining in the day.

Shillingford and Roach, who had a combined experience of just 10 Tests before this match, did not allow the hosts to build a big stand as the West Indies enforced the follow-on against any team for the first time since 2005.

"He (Shillingford) has bowled well here and has been our best spinner over the last 12 months. Playing in these conditions against Sri Lanka will be a massive experience for him," said West Indies coach Otis Gibson.

"It's been four good days since we started the game. Anything is possible (on Friday) as we are now more than 100 runs ahead. It's goind to be tough, but the guys will have to believe they can get something positive out of the game."

Four Sri Lankan batsmen -- skipper Kumar Sangakkara (73), Mahela Jayawardene (59), Prasanna Jayawardene (58) and Thilan Samaraweera (52) -- made half-centuries in the innings, but none could play a big knock.

The hosts were 86 runs short of the follow-on mark when they lost their seventh wicket at 295, but Prasanna Jayawardene and Dammika Prasad (47) sustained their team's hopes with a 72-run stand for the eighth wicket.

Prasad smashed two sixes and six fours in his 40-ball knock before being caught in the deep off Shillingford, who took three of the four wickets to fall in the afternoon session.

Sri Lanka then needed three runs to make the West Indies bat again with one wicket in hand, but Prasanna Jayawardene swept a Shillingford delivery straight to Roach at deep square-leg.

He hit one six and six fours in his third Test half-century.

"We wanted to save the follow-on, but it didn't happen," said Prasanna Jayawardene.

"Our openers have batted well in the second innings and if we capitalise on the start we can end up quite well."

The West Indies seized the initiative in the morning session through their disciplined bowling, grabbing three key wickets after the hosts had resumed at 165-3.

Sri Lanka lost Mahela Jayawardene, Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews (27) in the morning before Prasanna Jayawardene and Prasad defied the West Indies attack.

Mathews, who survived on 24 when debutant paceman Andrew Russell failed to hold on to a sharp return catch, fell in the last over before lunch, caught by skipper Darren Sammy at leg-slip off Shillingford.

The West Indies struck early when Roach had Mahela Jayawardene caught behind for his second success of the innings.

Jayawardene, dropped by Dwayne Bravo at leg-slip off Shillingford when on 54, failed to make the most of the chance as he fell soon afterwards. He added just eight to his overnight score of 51.

Samaraweera, 11 overnight, played some handsome shots in the opening hour, once hitting three successive fours off Shillingford. But he fell soon after reaching his 24th Test half-century, run out while backing up at the non-striker's end.

Mathews straight-drove seamer Bravo and the ball hit the bowler's boot before deflecting on to the stumps, with Samaraweera out of the crease.