Holder stars as Windies take control over Antigua Test

Former captain Jason Holder took five wickets to bundle out Sri Lanka for 169 as the West Indies took control of the first Test of their two-match series on the opening day in Antigua on Sunday.

With new skipper Kraigg Brathwaite sharing opening batting duties alongside John Campbell, the pair negotiated a potentially tricky 40 minutes to the close of play and will resume on the second morning at 13 without loss.

Holder’s eighth five-wicket innings haul in Test cricket included the important scalp of Lahiru Thirimanne during the final session of the day as the tourists’ last five wickets tumbled for just 19 runs.

Holder, whose first wicket came on the stroke of lunch when another former captain, Dinesh Chandimal, was caught behind, returned in that final session to terminate the only meaningful resistance from the Sri Lankans when wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella was caught at first slip for 32 to end a sixth-wicket partnership of 58 with Thirimanne.

Wicketless and unlucky in the morning session after the Sri Lankans were put in to bat, Kemar Roach grabbed two wickets in the afternoon session and added a third amid the post-tea collapse.

The 32-year-old’s final analysis of three for 47 from 16 overs lifted his haul of Test wickets to 208 in his 62nd match after 12 years in the international game.

Deprived of early success when Jermaine Blackwood missed a simple chance at backward-point off Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Roach earned the rewards for his persistent efforts by bowling Dhananjaya de Silva and then having debutant Pathum Nissanka superbly taken by a diving Holder at second slip to leave the visitors languishing at 92 for five.

Having put Sri Lanka in at the start of the day, Brathwaite’s decision to introduce the off-spin of Rahkeem Cornwall after just seven overs brought immediate returns when Karunaratne fell for 12 via a smart catch by Campbell at forward short-leg.

Brathwaite’s speed and accuracy then accounted for Oshada Fernando, the new batsman called through for a sharp single but found well short of his ground by the skipper’s direct hit at the striker’s end running in from cover.

Despite closing off the three-match one-day international series a week earlier with a match-winning century, Darren Bravo was omitted from the West Indies final XI.

ARR