At the close, the West Indies, after dismissing Sri Lanka for a challenging 354 runs in their first innings, were cruising along on 161 for two with Hinds not out on a sparkling 74 and Lara looking ominous on 36.

The pair has so far featured in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 95 runs in only 80 minutes after linking up, with the West Indies on 66 for two, having lost openers Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle, both to questionable leg-before-wicket verdicts.

The left-handed Hinds, who captured the key wicket of Sri Lanka’s opener Marvan Atapattu for 118 when Sri Lanka resumed from 250 for four overnight to start the Windies’ fightback, has so far smashed four sixes and three fours in his two-hour innings off only 87 balls.

Lara was content to play second fiddle to the dashing Hinds, counting just three fours off the 47 balls he faced but his presence certainly had a significant influence on his partner as THE left-handed duo launched an attack on Sri Lanka’s off-spin magician Muttiah Muralitharan, who was pummelled for 52 runs in nine overs.

Earlier, the Sri Lankans, who ended the first day in the ascendancy, were undone by an incisive 11-over spell from the 25-year-old Collymore with the second new ball, which was claimed, three overs into the day.

Collymore had the impressive figures of 11-2-21-3 to add to his two wickets on the first day to end with career-best figures of five for 62 off 26 overs, in only his second Test, after having his first four years ago against Australia in Antigua.

Hinds, bowling his improving medium pace, which earned 11 wickets in a club match in Jamaica last week, supported Collymore with two crucial wickets for 28 runs while Gayle weighed in with two for 22.

Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order slide which saw four wickets tumbling for 38 runs began when Hinds induced Atapattu to edge a waist-high catch to Lara at first slip.

The catch by Lara took him past former West Indies captain Sir Vivian Richards’ record of 121 as the highest by a West Indian in Test cricket and he added another to push his number of catches to 123 in 95 Tests.

After Hinds’ crucial first strike, ending Atapattu’s innings, which spanned 406 minutes and 276 balls and was decorated with 15 fours, Collymore trapped wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana leg-before-wicket for two, in the next over.

Collymore, with his probing each-way swing bowling and immaculate line and length, quickly followed by having Kaushal Lokuachchi brilliantly caught by Lara, diving forward at first slip, for 15, which included three fours off just 12 deliveries.

His next wicket was Thilan Samaraweera, who was at the crease for 109 in crawling to 11 before he was squared up by a beautiful outswinger and snicked a catch to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs.

From a lunch-time score of 309 for eight, Chaminda Vaas led a rearguard batting display with an invaluable 38 in 170 minutes off 125 balls as he added 38 for the ninth wicket with Muralitharan and a further 28 runs with last man Prabath Nissanka.

In response, Ganga, strategically elevated to the opening position to counter Vaas’s swing and swerve to the left-handers after batting at No.3 in the preceding series against Australia, made 12 before he came too far inside his wicket and was ruled leg-before-wicket to an inswinging delivery.

Gayle played a few positive shots against Nissanka and Samaraweera but the introduction of Muralitharan brought about his demise on 27 when he was pinned on the back foot.

But by then, Hinds, dropping down to the No.3 position, had already made his intentions clear, moving down the pitch and lifting Samaraweera’s uncomplicated off-spin over long on for the first six of the match.

When the much-vaunted Muralitharan replaced Samaraweera, Hinds wasted little time in sweeping him over square leg for his second six and the crowd which had grown to just over 4 000 in mid-afternoon.

Lara, who had filled the breach when Gayle was trapped-leg-before wicket by Muralitharan, got off the mark by elegantly working the wily off-spinner through forward square leg for four.

With Lara using the sweep shot to nullify Muralitharan’s spin away from the left-handers but opting to play along the carpet, Hinds used an aerial route and again swept him for another six, this time, the ball carrying high into the Air Jamaica Stand at square leg.

The tall left-hander then brought up his fifty in grand style off only 57 balls with a majestic straight drive off Nissanka. It was his second four to go with his three sixes in a fifty that took only 86 minutes.

When Muralitharan was switched to the northern end, Hinds pleasantly drove him to extra cover for four. He then turned his attention to the gentle off-spin of Samaraweera, again coming down the pitch and dispatching him over long off for his fourth six.

As it became increasingly darker, the umpires granted the Sri Lankans some respite by offering the batsmen light with another three overs left in the day’s play.

SRI LANKA 1st innings
M.Atapattu c Lara b Hinds 118

S.Jayasuriya c Banks b Collymore 8

K.Sangakkara lbw b Gayle 56

M.Jayawardene c Lara b Banks 45

H.Tillekeratne b Collymore 13

T.Samaraweera c wkp. Jacobs b Collymore 11

K.Lokuarchchi c Lara b Collymore 2

R.Kaluwitharana lbw b Collymore 2

C.Vaas c wkp. Jacobs b Gayle 38

M.Muralitharan lbw b Hinds 14

P.Nissanka not out 13

Extras: (b-4, lb-4, w-4, nb-9) 21

Total: (all out, 143.2 overs) 354

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-127, 3-195, 4-228, 5-266, 6-269, 7-285, 8-288, 9-326.

Bowling: Dillon 29-7-48-0 (nb-1, w-2), Collymore 29-4-67-5 (nb-7, w-2), Taylor 27-3-97-0 (nb-1), Hinds 11-3-28-2, Banks 33-8-74-1, Gayle 9.2-1-22-2, Samuels 3-0-9-0, Sarwan 2-1-1-0.

WEST INDIES 1st innings
C.Gayle lbw b Muralitharan 27

D.Ganga lbw b Vaas 12

W.Hinds not out 74

B.Lara not out 36

Extras: (lb-2, nb-10) 12

Total: (2 wickets, 33 overs) 161

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-66.