PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

The second Digicel Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka was delicately poised after more fluctuating fortunes on the second day at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday.

When bad light halted play, West Indies, replying to Sri Lanka's 278, were 268 for seven in a response that was shored up by useful contributions from most of the first seven batsmen.

After the home team polished the last Sri Lanka five wickets quickly in the morning session, they used a half-century from Ramnaresh Sarwan and supporting knocks from openers Chris Gayle and Sewnarine Chattergoon, along with Devon Smith to end the day trailing by 10 runs with three wickets in hand.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan kept Sri Lanka in the game with three wickets, including the scalp of Sarwan who led West Indies' response with a polished 57, his third half-century in succession.

solid batting

Debutant Chattergoon batted solidly to hit 46 in 135 minutes in which he featured in two consecutive half-century partnerships.

Chattergoon, who struck five fours and faced 78 balls, added 58 with Gayle for the first wicket and then featured in a second wicket stand of 79 with Sarwan before West Indies lost the initiative from a position of 137 for one just after tea.

Gayle, reverting to his regular position at the top after batting at No. 6 in the second innings of the first Test, fell for an aggressive 45 off 44 balls that included nine fours. His innings was ended when he steered a catch to gully that was held by Michael Vandort off left-arm pacer Thilan Thushara.

Following the dismissal of Chattergoon, who was bowled by a good ball from left-arm fast bowler Chaminda Vaas, West Indies quickly lost Marlon Samuels by the lbw route as he pushed forward to Muralitharan.

Half-hour later, West Indies also lost Sarwan to a catch at backward short-leg after the vice-captain had batted for two hours and faced 86 balls, while striking eight boundaries.

Sri Lanka continued their fightback by dislodging Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 18 when the left-hander was lbw shuffling across his stumps to Thushara.

Smith got together with Dwayne Bravo to add 47 for the sixth wicket, but both perished in the final half-hour.

bowled

After making 47 that occupied 107 minutes at the crease, Smith was bowled by Muralitharan, who ended the day with three for 64 from 23 overs, while Bravo was lbw on the back foot to give debutant fast bowler Ishara Amerasinghe his first Test wicket.

Earlier, Sri Lanka, resuming on 217 for five, lost their last five wickets for 61 runs.

Fast bowler Daren Powell took two of the last five wickets and there was one each for fellow pacer Fidel Edwards and medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo with three of the batsmen falling to attempted pull shots.

Edwards struck with the third pull of the day by removing Tillakeratne Dilshan from a miscued pull that was caught at short fine-leg by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Dilshan, who engineered a fightback in an unbroken sixth wicket century stand with Chamara Silva the previous evening, made 62 off 60 balls that contained eight fours.

Silva moved from his overnight 37 to 76 before he was last out from a pull shot that was caught at deep backward square-leg by Powell off Bravo.

After Edwards took the first wicket of the day, Powell added another in the second over when Vaas miscued a pull to be caught by Ramdin.

West Indies maintained the pressure by dismissing Thushara and Muralitharan before last man Amerasinghe joined Silva to keep the home team at bay for 45 minutes in a 10th wicket stand of 23.

Dwayne Bravo takes a diving catch to dismiss Muttiah Muralitharan off the bowling of Daren Powell.