Sri Lanka v West Indies
Will Luke provides a brief history of West Indies and Sri Lanka's battles
Will Luke
22-Nov-2007
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1993-94 in Sri Lanka
The entire tour was wrecked by the weather and the inaugural Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies turned into a damp squib of the wettest proportions. No play was possible on the last two days - although that was due largely to poor covering and drainage - with barely enough time to complete two innings. West Indies' seamers dismissed Sri Lanka for 190 but they could only manage a slender lead as Muttiah Muralitharan took 4 for 47, including Brian Lara for 18 - the first of many battles the two would have over coming years.
Tests Sri Lanka 0 West Indies 0 Drawn 1
ODIs Sri Lanka 1 West Indies 1 (one no result)
The entire tour was wrecked by the weather and the inaugural Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies turned into a damp squib of the wettest proportions. No play was possible on the last two days - although that was due largely to poor covering and drainage - with barely enough time to complete two innings. West Indies' seamers dismissed Sri Lanka for 190 but they could only manage a slender lead as Muttiah Muralitharan took 4 for 47, including Brian Lara for 18 - the first of many battles the two would have over coming years.
Tests Sri Lanka 0 West Indies 0 Drawn 1
ODIs Sri Lanka 1 West Indies 1 (one no result)
1996-97 in West Indies
Sri Lanka's first visit to the Caribbean may only have been a two-Test series but it did not want for action. Wickets tumbled throughout, with Lara registering the only century - 115 - as the bowlers dominated. Curtly Ambrose took eight in the first Test in Antigua and although West Indies conceded a first-innings lead of 34 Sri Lanka couldn't capitalise. Sherwin Campbell and Stuart Williams added 160 as West Indies eased to a six-wicket win. In the second Test Ravindra Pushpakumara skittled West Indies for 147 before Lara's second-innings ton set Sri Lanka 269. At 189 for 3 they were on course, but a combination of rain and Courtney Walsh left them relieved to leave with a draw as they ended eight down.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
Sri Lanka's first visit to the Caribbean may only have been a two-Test series but it did not want for action. Wickets tumbled throughout, with Lara registering the only century - 115 - as the bowlers dominated. Curtly Ambrose took eight in the first Test in Antigua and although West Indies conceded a first-innings lead of 34 Sri Lanka couldn't capitalise. Sherwin Campbell and Stuart Williams added 160 as West Indies eased to a six-wicket win. In the second Test Ravindra Pushpakumara skittled West Indies for 147 before Lara's second-innings ton set Sri Lanka 269. At 189 for 3 they were on course, but a combination of rain and Courtney Walsh left them relieved to leave with a draw as they ended eight down.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
2001-02 in Sri Lanka
This was Lara's series - but it wasn't. He scored 688 runs in the three Tests and yet West Indies were still whitewashed. His contests with Muralitharan will be the abiding memory as he made scores of 178, 40, 74, 45, 221 and 130. Twice West Indies were in a commanding position with the bat - with Lara in full flow - only to hand the advantage back to Sri Lanka. At Galle they were 393 for 3 and at Colombo 347 for 3 only to see the rest of the order subside. However, it wasn't always Muralitharan doing the damage and he was even overtaken as the leading wicket-taker by Chaminda Vaas with 26. Vaas took 14 for 191 at Colombo,only Muralitharan had taken more in a Test for Sri Lanka, and their batting ensured that even replying to totals over 400 was not a problem. Hashan Tillekeratne filled his boots - and even outshone Lara by averaging 403, albeit with three not outs - although their only other century came from Kumar Sangakkara. West Indies' bowlers were hapless, unable to take wickets or even maintain a semblance of control.
Tests: Sri Lanka 3 West Indies 0
This was Lara's series - but it wasn't. He scored 688 runs in the three Tests and yet West Indies were still whitewashed. His contests with Muralitharan will be the abiding memory as he made scores of 178, 40, 74, 45, 221 and 130. Twice West Indies were in a commanding position with the bat - with Lara in full flow - only to hand the advantage back to Sri Lanka. At Galle they were 393 for 3 and at Colombo 347 for 3 only to see the rest of the order subside. However, it wasn't always Muralitharan doing the damage and he was even overtaken as the leading wicket-taker by Chaminda Vaas with 26. Vaas took 14 for 191 at Colombo,only Muralitharan had taken more in a Test for Sri Lanka, and their batting ensured that even replying to totals over 400 was not a problem. Hashan Tillekeratne filled his boots - and even outshone Lara by averaging 403, albeit with three not outs - although their only other century came from Kumar Sangakkara. West Indies' bowlers were hapless, unable to take wickets or even maintain a semblance of control.
Tests: Sri Lanka 3 West Indies 0
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2003 in West Indies
West Indies gained a measure of revenge for their mauling in Sri Lanka the previous year, with Lara again leading the way. However, this time, he had the support of a more penetrative bowling attack helped by the return to fitness of Corey Collymore and the emergence of Fidel Edwards and his sling-shot action. The first Test in St Vincent petered out into a draw as heavy rain lashed the area. Lara and Muralitharan, though, had enough time for the next installment of their head-to-head battle. Again Lara came out on top in the personal stakes with 209 although Muralitharan did pick up 5 for 138. The series was decided by two fiery bursts of West Indian pace bowling at Jamaica. Edwards shocked the Sri Lankan batsmen with a five-wicket haul on debut before Collymore demolished their second innings with 7 for 57. Sri Lanka unearthed a talent of of their own in Prabath Nissanka, who claimed a maiden five-wicket haul, but Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara guided West Indies home. Sri Lanka won the one-day series, which preceded the Tests, including a successful chase of 313 in Barbados.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
ODIs: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 2
West Indies gained a measure of revenge for their mauling in Sri Lanka the previous year, with Lara again leading the way. However, this time, he had the support of a more penetrative bowling attack helped by the return to fitness of Corey Collymore and the emergence of Fidel Edwards and his sling-shot action. The first Test in St Vincent petered out into a draw as heavy rain lashed the area. Lara and Muralitharan, though, had enough time for the next installment of their head-to-head battle. Again Lara came out on top in the personal stakes with 209 although Muralitharan did pick up 5 for 138. The series was decided by two fiery bursts of West Indian pace bowling at Jamaica. Edwards shocked the Sri Lankan batsmen with a five-wicket haul on debut before Collymore demolished their second innings with 7 for 57. Sri Lanka unearthed a talent of of their own in Prabath Nissanka, who claimed a maiden five-wicket haul, but Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara guided West Indies home. Sri Lanka won the one-day series, which preceded the Tests, including a successful chase of 313 in Barbados.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
ODIs: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 2
2004-05 in Sri Lanka
Shivnarine Chanderpaul's unhappy tenure as captain continued in Sri Lanka, leading a West Indies side of hasbeens and wannabes due to yet another contractual crisis with the board. Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin all made their debuts as West Indies were bundled out for 285 in the first innings of the first Test. Surprisingly, they tore through Sri Lanka to dismiss them for 227...but the threat of Muralitharan was never far away and he decimated them for 113 in the second innings, picking up 6 for 36. It was a similar story of dashed hope in the second Test at Kandy. Darren Powell grabbed 5 for 25, bowling Sri Lanka out for just 150 but West Indies could only respond with 148. Kumar Sangakkara then batted West Indies out of the game with a fine 157, before Muralitharan mopped up a hapless West Indies with 8 for 46 in 16.2 overs of mayhem to record a 2-0 series trouncing.
Sri Lanka 2 West Indies 0
Shivnarine Chanderpaul's unhappy tenure as captain continued in Sri Lanka, leading a West Indies side of hasbeens and wannabes due to yet another contractual crisis with the board. Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin all made their debuts as West Indies were bundled out for 285 in the first innings of the first Test. Surprisingly, they tore through Sri Lanka to dismiss them for 227...but the threat of Muralitharan was never far away and he decimated them for 113 in the second innings, picking up 6 for 36. It was a similar story of dashed hope in the second Test at Kandy. Darren Powell grabbed 5 for 25, bowling Sri Lanka out for just 150 but West Indies could only respond with 148. Kumar Sangakkara then batted West Indies out of the game with a fine 157, before Muralitharan mopped up a hapless West Indies with 8 for 46 in 16.2 overs of mayhem to record a 2-0 series trouncing.
Sri Lanka 2 West Indies 0