KANDY, Sri Lanka, (Reuters):
WEST INDIES captain Carl Hooper defended paceman Colin Stuart after he was barred from bowling for sending down two beamers in three balls on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka yesterday.
He also refused, however, to become embroiled in a row with the umpires over the decision, which left his side desperately short of bowling.
Stuart managed just one legal delivery and two dangerous head-high beamers at Sanath Jayasuriya before being sidelined, as per the rules, for the rest of the innings by umpire John Hampshire.
Hooper, responding after Sri Lanka ended the rain-curtailed day on 193 for five, said: "It was the ruling at the end of the day. Anybody knows that it wasn't deliberate, it was two balls that genuinely slipped out of Colin's hands.
"Some times you like to use your discretion, but at the end of the day they've (the umpires) got to make a decision based on the rules.
"When you weigh everything that's happened and think of the total, I suppose it was good effort by the remaining bowlers."
The touring side, needing to avoid defeat to keep the three-Test series alive after losing the opening game in Galle, had to rely on paceman Pedro Collins and legspinner Dinanath Ramnarine for most of the day, backed up by Hooper's own off-spin.
Ramnarine bowled 16 overs, taking three for 54.
Earlier strike bowler Mervyn Dillon had left the pitch with a stomach problem after taking a wicket in his first over.
Hooper added: "Merv is going to see a specialist and hopefully we may have him back in the second innings.
"You face these kinds of situations and one of two things can happen. The team could capitulate or somebody can put his hands up and say: 'Hey, I am going to take the brunt of it.' Today, Ramnarine did that remarkably well."
