10 March 2023 11:29 am Views - 1359
Sri Lanka were rewarded for a day of disciplined bowling, chipping away at the New Zealand batting and leaving the hosts 193 runs in the red with five first innings wickets in hand at the Hagley Oval today.
All-rounder Daryl Mitchell remained defient, not out on 40, and along with Michael Bracewell, on nine, saw New Zealand to stumps on 162 for 5.
By the time New Zealand got through Sri Lanka's stubborn tail the visitors had already posted a competitive 355, even though the last recognised batsman, Dhananjaya de Silva, was dismissed early in the day.
Sri Lanka's bowlers then had to work hard to make the first breakthrough in New Zealand's innings, with Tom Latham and Devon Conway striking a partnership of 67.
But one brought two for the visitors shortly before tea -- Asitha Fernando trapping Conway leg before wicket for 30 and Lahiru Kumara picking up the crucial wicket of Kane Williamson, caught at cover for 1.
Another inroad following in the fourth over after the break when Henry Nicholls skyied a catch off Kumara's bowling, though Latham and Daryl Mitchell brought some stability to the New Zealand innings with a 50-run partnership.
Fernando produced a perfect yorker to dismiss Latham for a well-made 67 with Rajitha adding the fifth wicket to the team haul when Tom Blundell edged behind for 7.