Kumar Sangakkara scored a brilliant century to put Sri Lanka firmly in control of the second Test against West Indies after a rain-interrupted third day on Sunday.
Sangakkara's eighth Test ton guided the hosts to 340-7 at the close, 342 runs ahead of West Indies.
The 27-year-old left-hander, playing on his old school ground, grafted for over six hours to finish unbeaten on 135 from 266 balls, an innings that included 19 stylish boundaries.
His skilful hundred, scored on a deteriorating pitch, was the first by a batsmen from either side in the low-scoring series.
Sri Lanka, who started the day on 146-2, added 25 runs during a 41-minute morning, 43 runs during a 64-minute afternoon and then 126 runs in a 2-1/2 hour final session.
Sangakkara extended his third wicket partnership with Mahela Jayawardene (43) to 98 from 179 balls before Jermaine Lawson struck twice in his opening over of the day.
After slow-scoring on either side of the lunch interval, Sangakkara compiled a further 59 runs with Tillakaratne Dilshan to pile on the pressure on West Indies.
Dilshan stroked the ball around fluently and cracked seven boundaries in his 49 from 82 balls before he fell to Omari Banks.
Sangakkara started with a streaky leg glance just wide of a diving Denesh Ramdin behind the stumps to bring up his fifty.
But Lawson, who was reported for a suspect bowling action after taking 8-102 in the first Test, gave the tourists a glimmer of hope with a double strike in his first over of the day.
Jayawardene picked up a boundary with a classic on-drive before being bowled for 43 by a shooter that kept low and cut back to knock his off-stump.
Two balls later Thilan Samaraweera glanced a delivery down the leg-side to be caught by wicketkeeper Ramdin for nought.
ERRATIC BURST
However, Sangakkara and Dilshan settled down to build another important stand, eking out runs slowly at first before a burst of boundaries midway through the afternoon.
Tino Best was guilty of bowling an erratic two-over burst that included one beamer to Sangakkara and three consecutive boundaries by Dilshan as he erred in length.
Shortly afterwards the rain, which caused numerous stoppages throughout the day, forced players off for an early tea.
| |||||||||||
Following the dismissal of Dilshan with the score on 264-5, Daren Powell bowled Gayan Wjekoon for 12 with the new ball but Sangakkara stood undefeated till the close.
Sri Lanka's main strike bowler Chaminda Vaas, who captured six wickets in the first innings, had to bat with a runner due to a hamstring strain before he too succumbed to Banks for 19.
Vaas's injury could sideline him for the remainder of the match.
Sri Lanka won the first Test in Colombo by six wickets.
Scorecard:
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 150 (D. Powell 5-25)
West Indies 1st innings: 148 (C. Vaas 6-22)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings (Overnight: 146-2)
S. Jayasuriya c Morton b Lawson 36
M. Atapattu c Banks b D. Powell 19
K. Sangakkara not out 135
M. Jayawardene b Lawson 43
T. Samaraweera c Ramdin b Lawson 0
T. Dilshan c Morton b Banks 49
G. Wijekoon b D. Powell 12
C. Vaas b Banks 19
R. Herath not out 4
Extras (b-8 lb-5 nb-4 w-6) 23
Total (for 7 wickets, 98 overs) 340
Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-57, 3-155, 4-155, 5-264, 6-278, 7-321
To bat: M. Muralitharan, L. Malinga
Bowling
D. Powell 27 - 4 - 79 - 2 (w-1)
Lawson 25 - 1 - 93 - 3
Best 19 - 2 - 75 - 0 (nb-2 w-1)
Banks 16 - 5 - 39 - 2
Deonarine 3 - 0 - 13 - 0
Morton 5 - 0 - 15 - 0 (nb-2)
Chanderpaul 3 - 1 - 13 - 0
More from rediff