Muralitharan spins Sri Lanka to victory

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan snared eight wickets to send West Indies tumbling to a massive 240-run second Test defeat and a 2-0 s...

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan snared eight wickets to send West Indies tumbling to a massive 240-run second Test defeat and a 2-0 series whitewash on Monday.

Muralitharan proved too tough a proposition for the inexperienced West Indies batting line-up on a spinning pitch and ended with figures of 8-46.

The 33-year-old off-spinner recovered from a severe flu bug, which had hampered his bowling in the first innings, to reel off 16.2 overs during an unchanged spell as the visitors were bowled out in just 41.2 overs.

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Playing in his hometown in Sri Lanka’s central highlands, Muralitharan finished with match figures of 10-83 and extended his career tally to 549 wickets in 93 Tests.

Sri Lanka, who had started the day on 340-7, batted on for a further 37 minutes after early morning rain had delayed the resumption by 45 minutes before declaring on 375-7.

Kumar Sangakkara batted fluently in the short session to finish unbeaten on 157.

Fast bowler Tino Best was banned again by New Zealand umpire Tony Hills for bowling his second beamer of the innings at Rangana Herath (15 not out).

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Lasith Malinga could have had a wicket with his first delivery on Monday but Tillakaratne Dilshan fumbled the low catch at second slip off Marshall.

However, Malinga, who swung the new ball sharply away from the right-handers, deceived opener Xavier Marshall (1) in his next over with an out-swinging yorker.

He also produced a fierce short delivery that smacked Runako Morton on the back of the neck. The incident halted play for several minutes as the right-hander received medical attention.

After rain had forced the teams to take an early lunch, Muralitharan started to cause problems as soon as the match resumed.

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Morton was the first to depart, foxed by Muralitharan’s doosra and pinned lbw to end a 36-run stand for the second wicket with Ryan Ramdass.

Debutant Ramdass played some attractive strokes for his 23 before he propped forward tentatively to a Muralitharan off break and was caught by Mahela Jayawardene at silly point. Sylvester Joseph was dismissed next ball to leave the West Indies in disarray on 49-4.

Brief scores

Sri Lanka: 150 and 375-7 (K.Sangakkara 157 n.o, M.Jayawardene 43, T.Dilshan 49, D.Powell 2-89, Lawson 3-104, Banks 2-47) bt West Indies: 148 and 137 (Chanderpaul 24, N.Deonarine 29, D.Ramdin 28, Muralitharan 8-46).