Some resolute defence from Kumar Sangakkara - plus five dropped catches and a generous sprinkling of sundries - allowed Sri Lanka to keep a toe in the game, but that could not take the gloss off a day that belonged emphatically to Edwards and the West Indies.

Edwards, a 21-year-old Bajan plucked from obscurity for this deciding Test, started the day as Brian Lara's second change pace bowler. But he won the confidence of his captain with a nerveless performance in the morning, when he bowled with pace and hostility, and was handed the new ball in the evening. He didn't disappoint, claiming the last four wickets as Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap - the last four wickets falling for just 16 runs. Edwards finished with 5 for 36.

Had it not been for Sangakkara, who received scant support from his top order colleagues, Sri Lanka's predicament would have been dire. He should have been Jerome Taylor's first Test wicket before lunch, but Taylor couldn't hold on to the sharp return catch, and in the afternoon Vasbert Drakes found the edge, but the wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and Brian Lara at first slip both stood rooted as the ball flew between them.

Sangakkara capitalised on his good fortune, grafting hard for his four-and-a-half hour 75 - his 12th Test fifty. Chaminda Vaas, who had also batted adhesively in the opening Test, gave him some resolve after Sri Lanka had slumped to 140 for 6 on the stroke of tea. The pair chiselled out 52 runs for the seventh wicket.

But Edwards ended Sangakkara's resistance immediately after taking the second new ball. Sangakkara made a complete misjudgment - perhaps confused by a strange but powerful slingshot action - and played no shot to a straight delivery to be plumb lbw (192 for 7).

Thilan Thushara Mirando - another debutant - Muttiah Muralitharan and Prabath Nissanka then all fell in quick succession. Vaas was left stranded having faced 80 deliveries for his 12 runs. West Indies survived till the close without loss.

Earlier, Lara's decision to put Sri Lanka into bat after winning the toss paid rich dividends as Corey Collymore and Drakes removed veteran openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu in their opening spells. Jayasuriya was the first to go, caught by the wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs off Collymore for 26 (38 for 1).

Atapattu, who scored a century in the opening Test, contributed just 15 this time as he was well caught by Chris Gayle at second slip off Drakes to leave Sri Lanka tottering on 48 for 2. Mahela Jayawardene (10) fell on the stroke of lunch, caught by a diving Gayle in the slips to become Edwards' first Test victim (77 for 3).

Hashan Tillekeratne should have gone shortly after the resumption as he flashed hard at Edwards and Lara failed to cling on to a catch that went high and hard. Tillekeratne, who never settled, failed to make West Indies pay. Omari Banks was brought into the attack and immediately struck, getting one to turn and bounce, and Tillekeratne gloved to Lara at first slip for 13 (109 for 4).

Banks struck again to remove Romesh Kaluwitharana for 10 in rather unusual circumstances. Kaluwitharana stepped to leg to make room but was undone by prodigious turn, edging the ball into Jacobs' thigh from where Marlon Samuels dived athletically to grab the rebound (129 for 5).

Kumar Dharmasena hung around without looking at all at ease, and it came as little surprise when he fended a Collymore bouncer to Samuels in the gully for 6 (140 for 6). After the tea interval, though, Sri Lanka provided stiffer resistance.

Earlier, both teams had made changes, beefing up their bowling attacks. West Indies discarded Merv Dillon and Daren Ganga, for Drakes and Edwards, while Sri Lanka dropped Thilan Samaraweera and Kaushal Lokuarachchi. (Wisden CricInfo Ltd)

SRI LANKA first innings
M.Atapattu c Gayle b Drakes 15

S.Jayasuriya c Jacobs b Collymore 26

K.Sangakkara lbw b Edwards 75

M.Jayawardene c Gayle b Edwards 10

H.Tillakaratne c Lara b Banks 13

R.Kaluwitharana c Samuels b Banks 10

K.Dharmasena c Samuels b Collymore 6

C.Vaas not out 12

T.Thushara c Lara b Edwards 11

M.Muralitharan b Edwards 0

P.Nissanka b Edwards 0

Extras: (b-1, lb-17, w-2, nb-10) 30

Total: (all out 85.4 overs) 208

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-48, 3-77, 4-109, 5-129, 6-140, 7-192, 8-204, 9-208.

Bowling: Collymore 15-6-28-2 Taylor 11-1-40-0 Drakes 18-3-54-1 Edwards 15.4-1-36-5, Banks 22-6-31-2 Gayle 4-3-1-0.

WEST INDIES first innings
C.Gayle not out 3

W.Hinds not out 1