Brian Lara scored the fourth double century of his Test career in Colombo yesterday to help West Indies to a first- innings total of 390 on the second day of the third and final match of the series.
The former captain, in his 83rd Test, batted for 447 minutes and faced 354 balls, hitting two sixes and 23 fours. Lara has now scored 558 runs in a series the home side have already won; indeed, his efforts yesterday could not halt yet another West Indies slide after they resumed on 327 for three and were all out in the first over after lunch.
Sri Lanka's left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas took a career-best seven for 120, eventually bowling Lara with an inswinger for 221. Earlier Lara and Carl Hooper put on 136 for the fourth wicket before Hooper became Vaas's first victim of the day, falling lbw for 56.
When Sri Lanka batted, their captain Sanath Jayasuriya shared in stands of 99 with Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 55 with six fours, and 75 with Mahela Jayawardene who is unbeaten on 32. Jayasuriya hit nine fours and a six in his 85. At the close Sri Lanka were 193 for three.
In Perth centuries by the debutant Lou Vincent and his captain Stephen Fleming helped New Zealand to 283 for seven on the first day of the third and decisive Test against Australia.
New Zealand suffered early setbacks when Jason Gillespie bowled Mark Richardson on nine and Glenn McGrath had Mathew Sinclair trapped lbw for two but the tourists hit back in style. Vincent, a 23-year-old right-hander from Auckland, hit an almost flawless 104 in 268 minutes. Fleming, without a century in 28 Tests, went one run better.
Vincent was first to go, with the pair one short of a 200 partnership. He was caught at slip by Shane Warne off Mark Waugh, although there was some doubt as to whether he had hit the ball. Fleming, who had won the toss and elected to bat, was tiring and limping from a blow to the knee when he was trapped leg-before by the previously ineffectual Brett Lee.
The double breakthrough lifted Australia, who ended the day in high spirits by picking up three cheap wickets before the close.
Craig McMillan was trapped leg-before by Gillespie for four; Daniel Vettori added only two runs before he was caught by Damien Martyn off the same bowler; and Lee picked up his second wicket of the day when he had Chris Cairns caught behind by Adam Gilchrist for eight. Nathan Astle and Adam Parore were together at the close.