The Sri Lankan cricket team has strongly denied any wrongdoing after being charged with altering the condition of the ball during the second Test against the West Indies at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St. Lucia.

The Sri Lankan players protested the charge – and the subsequent penalty of a ball change and the award of five extra runs to the opposition – by refusing to take the field at the start of the third day’s play.

The match eventually resumed after a two-hour delay, but Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have said the players are effectively continuing with the game “under protest”.

The charge was laid by the umpires after reviewing footage of the second day’s play, and finding evidence pointing to the application of a substance to the ball.

A statement by the Sri Lanka board said it “advised the team to take the field to ensure the continuity of the match and wish to commend the decision taken by the team to continue with the game ‘under protest’ to ensure the upholding of the spirit of the game.”

Officials privy to the case say the incident was similar to the one involving South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who was found guilty of altering the condition of the ball during the 2016-17 Test series in Australia.

The protest by the Sri Lanka team resulted in only 12.3 being bowled before lunch.