JOIN USKraigg Brathwaite's defiance and more inclement weather ensured a draw on the final day of the second Test between the West Indies and Sri Lanka at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia.
On a day when their captain, Dinesh Chandimal, who has been charged by umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould with ball tampering, is likely to know his fate, the tourists stayed focused on events on the field in reducing the home side to 64 for four in early afternoon after setting the West Indies an unlikely victory target of 296.
However, Brathwaite's obdurate, unbeaten 59, with support from Shai Hope and captain Jason Holder, ensured that the showers which came in the final session, coupled with deteriorating light, eliminated the Sri Lankans' chances of levelling the series.
Shannon Gabriel took the last two wickets of the Sri Lankan second innings within minutes of the start of play to finish with the outstanding innings analysis of eight for 62 and match figures of 13 for 121, the third-best by a West Indian in Tests and the best-ever by a Caribbean bowler in home conditions.
When he wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings for 342 by bowling Akila Dananjaya, Gabriel also reached the landmark of 100 Test wickets.
It will be a historic occasion at Kensington Oval as the first day/night Test to be played in the Caribbean and will also be starting on the 90th anniversary of the West Indies' first day of Test cricket against England at Lord's in London on June 23, 1928. Yet it is quite possible that Chandimal will only be a spectator to all that history if he is found guilty of ball tampering.
While he has challenged the charge, match referee Javagal Srinath will be required to adjudicate in a hearing immediately upon the conclusion of the match to make a final determination on the Sri Lankan's skipper's fate.
Evidence to be presented against Chandimal will include video footage from the television broadcasters which appear to show him taking sweets from his pocket and placing them in his mouth and subsequently applying saliva onto the ball in a manner that the umpires determined to be in violation of the code of conduct regulations in relation to "changing the condition of the ball."
Should he be found guilty though, Chandimal faces a one-Test suspension which will rule him out of the last match of the series.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka: 253 all out and 342 all out (Shannon Gabriel 8/62) drew with West Indies: 300 all out and 147/5 in 24 overs (Brathwaite 59 not out, Shai Hope 39; Suranga Lakmal 2-48, Rajitha 2-23).