Sri Lanka put a spanner in the Black Caps’ works last night by first denying them what was shaping as a useful first innings lead and then building a healthy lead of their own at tea on the second day of the first test in Galle.
Despite a blip when opener Pathum Nissanka was caught by Tim Southee off the bowling of Will O’Rourke for two, the hosts controlled proceedings with relative ease to reach 134 for one, a lead of 99 runs heading into the day’s final session.
Fellow opener Dimuth Karunaratne was sitting pretty on 72 off 109 balls at the break, while first drop Dinesh Chandimal was unbeaten on 54 off 122.
Resuming on 255 for four, the Black Caps looked set to comfortably surpass Sri Lanka’s first innings 305 before a flurry of wickets put paid to that.
Of the lower order batsmen, only Glenn Phillips showed much resistance as the visitors were bowled out for 340, for a led of 35
Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya was the chief destroyer, posting figures of four for 136, while Ramesh Mendis chipped in with three for 101.
Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell went first in just the fourth over of the morning, gloving to first slip off an attempted reverse sweep.
Daryl Mitchell showed glimpses of his matchwinning self, but his downfall came through an ill-advised single to cover. Phillips called, but Mitchell, on 57, was slow out of his crease and came up centimetres short at the striker's end.
With a second new ball introduced, Mitchell Santner did not stick around, edging behind off Jayasuriya.
Southee was next to go, going back to a good-length Jayasuriya ball and having his off stump rattled.
New Zealand went nine down while still one run behind when an arm-ball from Ramesh Mendis trapped Ajaz Patel lbw.
When Phillips was given out lbw off Jayasuriya just one ball later, Sri Lanka thought they had secured a wafer-thin first innings lead, but a review showed the ball missing leg stump.
A relieved Phillips then let the brakes off and over the next five odd overs he took the majority of the strike and added 35 runs, punishing Jayasuriya particularly.
Sri Lanka had to wait for the last two deliveries of each over to bowl to No 11 Will O'Rourke, but they made the most of their opportunities as he missed a Ramesh Mendis delivery which clattered into his off stump.
Phillips was left stranded unbeaten on 49 off 48 balls.
NEW ZEALAND
First innings
T Latham c sub b Jayasuriya 70
D Conway lbw b W Mendis 17
K Williamson c B Mendis b de Silva 55
R Ravindra b de Silva 39
D Mitchell run out (W Mendis/B Mendis) 57
T Blundell c de Silva b Jayasuriya 25
G Phillips not out 49
M Santner c B Mendis b Jayasuriya 2
T Southee b Jayasuriya 3
A Patel lbw b W Mendis 6
W O'Rourke b W Mendis 2
Extras (8b, 3lb, 2w, 2nb) 15
Total (90.5 overs) 340
Fall: 1-63, 2-136, 3-187, 4-196, 5-269, 6-291, 7-293, 8-297, 9-304.
Bowlers: A Fernando 7-1-25-0, C Kumara 12-5-28-0, D de Silva 7-0-31-2, W Mendis 23.5-1-101-3, N Jayasuriya 40-5-136-4, P Mendis 1-0-8-0.
SRI LANKA
Second Innings (at tea)
P Nissanka c Southee b O'Rourke 2
D Karunaratne not out 72
D Chandimal not out 54
Extras (4lb, 1nb, 1w) 6
Total (for 1 wkt, 40 overs) 134
Fall: 1-6.
Bowling: W O’Rourke 8-2-17-1, A Patel 10-1-45-0, M Santner 9-1-28-0, T Southee 6-2-11-0, G Phillips 6-0-28-0, R Ravindra 1-0-1-0.
