Providence (Guyana), March 23: A dodgy half century by Mahela Jayawardene helped Sri Lanka reach 330/5 at lunch on the second day in the opening Test against West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Sunday.

Continuing from their 269/4, Lanka lost overnight batsman Tillakeratne Dilshan for 20 in the fifth over of the day, but new batsman Prasanna Jayawardene (21 n.o.) complemented the skipper (59 n.o.) well.

On Saturday, three wickets in the final period, including the scalp of Malinda Warnapura for a maiden Test hundred of 120, wobbled Sri Lanka after their batsmen revelled.

Left-hander Warnapura, opening the batting, maximised ideal conditions to give Sri Lanka a solid base, but West Indies struck back in the final period to leave the visitors on 269/4 in their first innings when stumps were drawn on the opening day.

Warnapura was caught down the leg-side, when he fenced at his short, rising 226th delivery from Dwayne Bravo about half-hour after tea to leave Sri Lanka on 205/2.

He batted for close to four and half hours and struck 14 boundaries. But Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene came to the wicket and kept his side on track with his deputy Kumar Sangakkara before Jerome Taylor struck twice in the space of three balls in his 16th over to drag West Indies back into the match.

Sangakkara, who was dropped on 44 at short mid-off off Taylor, flicked Test newcomer and left-arm spin bowler Sulieman Benn through backward square leg for a single to reach 50.

But he edged a loose drive in the next over from Taylor and was caught at slip without addition to his score.

Thilan Samaraweera managed to avoid a first-ball duck, when he kept a low delivery from hitting the base of his stumps, but he had no control, when he turned the next ball from Taylor to the short mid-wicket and was caught to leave Sri Lanka on 243/4. (AFP)