When the persistent rain prematurely ended play, 40 minutes after lunch with the water-logged outfield resembling the nearby lake, the West Indies were well-placed on 272 for four, 82 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 354.

Lara was not out 93 and the stylish Marlon Samuels on five after replacing vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was erroneously given out for seven for a ‘bump ball’ catch.

Hinds had earlier moved his overnight 74 to 113 before he was unfortunately run-out in a mix-up with Lara, ending a fruitful 174-run third-wicket partnership.

The run-a-minute alliance between Lara and Hinds, which gave the West Indies the ascendancy, exposed the limitations of the Sri Lankan attack, so heavily dependent of left-arm seam bowler Chaminda Vaas and wily off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

These two bowlers started Sri Lanka’s attack when the West Indies resumed at 161 for two overnight and Vaas should have removed Hinds when he was on 86, but Prabath Nissanka at mid-off dropped a straightforward catch from the aerial drive.

The tall, Jamaican left-hander capitalised on this chance and went on to post his century in 185 minutes off 123 balls with six fours and four sixes even though he reached the landmark in fortuitous circumstances.

Hitting across the spin of Muralitharan, Hinds attempted an ill-advised swing over midwicket but the ball took the edge of the bat and sailed over the wicketkeeper’s head to the third man boundary.

Hinds celebrated reaching the landmark by powerfully straight-driving fast bowler Prabath Nissanka for four and then moving down the pitch to hit leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarchchi through wide long-on for another boundary.

However, his innings was cut short when he played Vaas to mid-on and ran three-quarter way down the pitch before he was belatedly sent back by a hesitant Lara at the non-striker’s end.

Marvan Atapattu pounced on the ball and hurled it to the wicketkeeper’s end where Romesh Kaluwitharana whipped off the bails before Hinds could regain his ground.

Overall, Hinds batted for 216 minutes and struck eight fours and four sixes off 143 balls.

Lara, who was content to play a secondary role while Hinds attacked the Sri Lankan bowlers, reached his fifty in exactly two hours off 86 balls with the aid of five fours, two of them coming off Vaas, courtesy of a delicate cut to third-man and a powerful square cut to the backward point boundary.

After Hinds’ dismissal, Lara was joined by Sarwan and they took the score to 253 for three at lunch, ending a good morning session for the West Indies as 92 runs were scored off 33 overs.

On resumption, Lara, who has batted for 248 minutes, facing 189 balls and hitting eight fours, moved to within eight runs of his fifth century against Sri Lanka but the West Indies' advance was halted when a heavy and continuous shower forced play to be abandoned for the day after a mere 8.2 overs were bowled in the pre-tea session.

Rain at this time of the year in the Caribbean, which is known as the Hurricane season, is always on the cards, and it fell non-stop from 1.22 p.m. (local time) for almost two hours, leaving the entire lush-green waterlogged.

The ground staff had worked diligently in removing gallons of water from the covers while the rain fell but their efforts were in vain as the rain became progressively heavier, forcing the umpires to abandon play for the rest of the day.

Before the downpour came, the West Indies had suffered an immediate setback with Sarwan's controversial dismissal.

Sarwan pulled a short delivery from off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and the ball ricocheted from the short-leg fielder Kumar Sangakkara's leg to short midwicket where Atapattu claimed the catch.

Umpire Billy Bowden consulted his colleague Daryl Harper at square-leg before raising the dreaded finger to send Sarwan on his way.

Surprisingly, there was no call for confirmation of the catch by the Television umpire even though there was an element of doubt.

Had Bowden, the flamboyant New Zealander consulted Billy Doctrove, watching the replays, Sarwan would not have been wrongly given out.

Television replays, however showed that Sarwan was unlucky as the ball was hit into the ground before striking Sangakkara on its way to Atapattu.

It was the second wicket for Muralitharan, whose two scalps have cost him 92 runs in 25 overs while Vaas has been the other successful bowler with one for 62 off 24.2 overs.

Once the rain eases and the ground dries out, play will start half an hour earlier on today's fourth day.

SRI LANKAfirst innings 354 (M.Atapattu 118, K.Sangakkara 56; C.Collymore 5-66)

WEST INDIES first innings (o/n 161-2)
C.Gayle lbw b Muralitharan 27

D.Ganga lbw b Vaas 12

W.Hinds run-out 113

B.Lara not out 93

R.Sarwan c Atapattu b Muralitharan 7

M.Samuels not out 5

Extras: (lb-3, nb-12) 15

Total: (for four wickets) 272

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-66, 3-240, 4-262.