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Galle: Sri Lanka needed less than four days to thrash West Indies by an innings and six runs in the opening test at Galle on Saturday with Rangana Herath leading the victory in Galle on Saturday.
The touring side were bundled out for 227 in their second innings in the afternoon session, after being asked to follow on by the hosts.
Herath added three wickets to his previous day's removal of opener Kraigg Brathwaite (34) after taking six wickets in the first innings. He finished with match figures of 10-147.
Jermaine Blackwood’s 92 threatened to deny Sri Lanka the joy of an innings victory but a ploy to place every fielder at the boundary for Blackwood who was rightfully unwilling to give strike to tailender Shanon Gabriel worked as Blackwood tried to go over the top but was caught at deep extra cover.
It was a pitiful performance by West Indies for most part and they were clueless against the quality spin of Herath.
The touring side were reduced to 156 for six wickets in their second innings at lunch.
Herath added two wickets to his previous day's removal of opener Kraigg Brathwaite (34) to take his match haul to nine.
After resuming on 67-2, West Indies lost nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo (10) in the wily left-arm spinner's third over and then experienced batsman Marlson Samuels was out lbw off the first ball he faced.
Samuels did not offer a shot to a straight delivery from Herath and more surprisingly, decided to waste a review by challenging the umpire's decision. The bowler's hat-trick ball was fended away by Blackwood.
West Indies' hopes of delaying Sri Lanka's charge rested on Darren Bravo (31), who scored a 50 in the first innings, but the left-hander edged Nuwan Pradeep behind after captain Angelo Mathews' decision to allow the paceman one more over was vindicated.
Blackwood and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (11) stitched together a dogged 48-run stand for the sixth wicket with the former using his feet well against the spinners.
However, debutant Milinda Siriwardena ended the pair's resistance when Ramdin edged a catch to Kaushal Silva at second slip.
The second match of the two-test series starts in Colombo on Thursday.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka - 484 (Karunaratne 186, Chandimal 151, Bishoo 4-143)
West Indies - 251 (Bravo 50, Herath 6-68) and 227 (f/o) (Blackwood 92, Herath 4-79)
Result - Sri Lanka won by an innings and 6 runs
MOM - Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)
