Despite a strong resistance by Sri Lanka’s lower order, three wickets apiece by Tim Southee and Blair Tickner helped bundle out the visitors for 358 to help New Zealand clinch the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington by an innings and 58 runs, on Monday. With the win, the hosts also sealed the two-match Test series 2-0.
The visitors, who were asked to follow on after bundling out for 164 in the first innings, in response to New Zealand’s 580 for 4, provided a strong fight for most parts of the first two sessions, led by Dhananjaya de Silva’s 98 – and well supported by Dinesh Chandimal’s 62 and Nishan Madushka’s 39. However, on either side of the two partnerships – for the fifth and sixth wicket respectively – the hosts triggered collapses.
They struck in the first over of the day itself, with Kusal Mendis mistiming a pull off Matt Henry to mid wicket, without adding to the overnight score. The short-ball which got them the success early in the day, was used rather generously by the New Zealanders throughout the day, especially Blair Tickner who filled in that role in the absence of Neil Wagner.
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In the fourth over of the day, the other overnight batter – Angelo Matthews – departed pulling Tickner to square leg. Despite losing two wickets early in the day, Sri Lanka continued to be on the offensive, with Chandimal and Dhananjaya taking on the short-pitched attack. The duo stitched a 126-run stand for the fifth wicket, in what proved to be a
high-scoring session where Sri Lanka picked 136 runs.
The attacking approach that the two batters maintained also helped them quickly take advantage of the loose deliveries as well. However, late in the morning session, Chandimal eventually fell to the ploy, top-edging a pull off Tickner to the fine leg fielder.
Madushka, on debut, got off the mark by going down the track off Michael Bracewell and hitting the offspinner for a six in the last over before Lunch. He attempted to drive the next delivery, but was tricked by the dip and eventually hit it just short of the fielder. The approach post Lunch though was rather cautious. Against the moving new ball, the batters were tested by Matt Henry and Tim Southee. However, apart from a couple of leg before appeals and a few beating the bat, there wasn’t much threat posed to them.
>>Sri Lanka on the ropes after being made to follow on
They slowly kept chipping away at the deficit with a 76-run partnership for the sixth wicket before Madushka fell at the stroke of Tea – yet again dismissed pulling against Tickner, this time caught at mid on.
Sri Lanka’s chances of wiping off the deficit took a massive hit when Dhananjaya was dismissed in the second over after tea. Looking to sweep Michael Bracewell, he got a top edge to the short-leg fielder. Thereafter, the lower order only delayed the inevitable. They kept the New Zealand bowlers at bay for nearly two and a half hours from thereon to hand them the last three wickets, two of which were eventually scalped by Southee.
Kasun Rajitha played out 110 deliveries in the company of Prabath Jayasuriya and Lahiru Kumara, both of whom added 45 balls each. Rajitha’s dismissal – caught at second slip poking at an away-going delivery – ended Sri Lanka’s innings soon after play was extended for the day.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Latham | c Prabath Jayasuriya b Kasun Rajitha | 21 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 28.77 |
| Devon Conway | c & b Dhananjaya de Silva | 78 | 108 | 13 | 0 | 72.22 |
| Kane Williamson | c b Prabath Jayasuriya | 215 | 296 | 23 | 2 | 72.64 |
| Henry Nicholls | not out | 200 | 240 | 15 | 4 | 83.33 |
| Daryl Mitchell | c & b Kasun Rajitha | 17 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 141.67 |
| Tom Blundell | not out | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 32 (b 2 , lb 17 , nb 8, w 5, pen 0) |
| Total | 580/4 (123 Overs, RR: 4.72) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasun Rajitha | 32 | 6 | 126 | 2 | 3.94 | |
| Asitha Fernando | 26 | 6 | 110 | 0 | 4.23 | |
| Lahiru Kumara | 25 | 1 | 164 | 0 | 6.56 | |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 19 | 3 | 75 | 1 | 3.95 | |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | 21 | 1 | 86 | 1 | 4.10 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshada Fernando | c Tom Blundell b Matt Henry | 6 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 18.75 |
| Dimuth Karunaratne | c Tom Latham b Michael Bracewell | 89 | 188 | 9 | 0 | 47.34 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Devon Conway b Doug Bracewell | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | c Daryl Mitchell b Tim Southee | 4 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 23.53 |
| Angelo Mathews | c Tom Blundell b Matt Henry | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | st Tom Blundell b Michael Bracewell | 37 | 92 | 4 | 0 | 40.22 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | c Tim Southee b Michael Bracewell | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Nishan Madushka | c Michael Bracewell b Matt Henry | 19 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 61.29 |
| Kasun Rajitha | run out (Tom Latham) | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Lahiru Kumara | not out | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Asitha Fernando | c Kane Williamson b Blair Tickner | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 7 (b 4 , lb 1 , nb 1, w 1, pen 0) |
| Total | 164/10 (66.5 Overs, RR: 2.45) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Southee | 15 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 1.47 | |
| Matt Henry | 20 | 6 | 44 | 3 | 2.20 | |
| Doug Bracewell | 12 | 7 | 19 | 1 | 1.58 | |
| Michael Bracewell | 12 | 1 | 50 | 3 | 4.17 | |
| Blair Tickner | 6.5 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 3.23 | |
| Daryl Mitchell | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshada Fernando | c WA Young b Doug Bracewell | 5 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 13.89 |
| Dimuth Karunaratne | c Devon Conway b Tim Southee | 51 | 83 | 4 | 0 | 61.45 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Kane Williamson b Matt Henry | 50 | 106 | 8 | 0 | 47.17 |
| Angelo Mathews | c Michael Bracewell b Blair Tickner | 2 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 4.55 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | c Doug Bracewell b Blair Tickner | 62 | 92 | 8 | 0 | 67.39 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | c Henry Nicholls b Michael Bracewell | 98 | 185 | 12 | 1 | 52.97 |
| Nishan Madushka | c Tim Southee b Blair Tickner | 39 | 93 | 4 | 1 | 41.94 |
| Kasun Rajitha | c Kane Williamson b Tim Southee | 20 | 110 | 1 | 0 | 18.18 |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | c Blair Tickner b Michael Bracewell | 2 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 4.44 |
| Lahiru Kumara | c Michael Bracewell b Tim Southee | 7 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 15.56 |
| Asitha Fernando | not out | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 22 (b 0 , lb 6 , nb 2, w 14, pen 0) |
| Total | 358/10 (142 Overs, RR: 2.52) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Southee | 27 | 13 | 51 | 3 | 1.89 | |
| Matt Henry | 29 | 8 | 59 | 1 | 2.03 | |
| Michael Bracewell | 42 | 14 | 100 | 2 | 2.38 | |
| Doug Bracewell | 18 | 3 | 58 | 1 | 3.22 | |
| Blair Tickner | 26 | 6 | 84 | 3 | 3.23 | |
