GALLE – Opener Dimuth Karunaratne missed out on a maiden double hundred but his 238-run stand with Dinesh Chandimal put Sri Lanka on course for a big first-innings total against West Indies in the opening test at Galle on Thursday.

The hosts, who opted to bat first, reached 344 for the loss of three wickets on the second day, with Karunaratne falling on 186 just a couple of overs before the interval.

Dinesh Chandimal was unbeaten on 113 with captain Angelo Mathews (one) at the crease.

With the slow pitch offering little assistance to bowlers, left-hander Karunaratne, unbeaten on 135 overnight, and Chandimal continued to plunder runs.

Karunaratne hit 16 boundaries and a six in his 354-ball knock and was finally out when he offered a return catch to part-time off-spinner Marlon Samuels.

West Indies made life difficult for themselves by spilling chances on Wednesday and they again failed to make most of their opportunities on the second morning.

Chandimal, who was dropped on 11 on the first day, survived another chance on 82 when Jermaine Blackwood allowed the ball to burst through his fingers at point off fast bowler Shannon Gabriel.

Right-handed batsman Chandimal made the most of his luck and completed his fifth hundred in tests with a lofted drive over mid-off against Gabriel.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 1st innings (Overnight: 250-2)
D. Karunaratne              c&b Samuels            186 
K. Silva                    c Ramdin b Roach           17  
L. Thirimanne               c sub b Bishoo             16  
D. Chandimal                not out                    113 
A. Mathews                  not out                    1   
Extras                      (lb-5 nb-6)                11  
Total                       (for 3 wickets, 116 overs) 344 
Fall of wickets: 1-56 K. Silva,2-101 L. Thirimanne,3-339 D. Karunaratne
To bat: M. Siriwardana, K. Perera, D. Prasad, T. Kaushal, R. Herath, N. Pradeep
Bowling                
J. Taylor                   15 - 3 - 48 - 0(nb-5)          
K. Roach                    17 - 3 - 49 - 1                
J. Holder                   16 - 4 - 28 - 0                
S. Gabriel                  15 - 2 - 55 - 0(nb-1)          
M. Samuels                  23 - 4 - 60 - 1                
D. Bishoo                   29 - 2 - 98 - 1                
C. Brathwaite               1 - 0 - 1 - 0                  
Referees               
Umpire: Marais Erasmus                                     
Umpire: Richard Illingworth                                
TV umpire: Simon Fry                                       
Match referee: David Boon -Reuters