Mathews proves saviour again as Sri Lanka defy New Zealand

Former captain Angelo Mathews continued his role as saviour on Sri Lanka's tour of New Zealand as he and Kusal Mendis struck unbeaten hundreds to thwart the host's push for victory on the fourth day of the first test at the Basin Reserve on Tuesday. 

Mathews was on 117, while Mendis was 116 not out as they took their side to 259 for three at stumps, having batted together all day and created Sri Lanka's highest partnership for any wicket against New Zealand with a marathon 246-run stand. 
It was the first time in test cricket that a full day's play had been completed without a wicket falling since the first day of the second match between South Africa and Bangladesh on Feb. 29, 2008. 

The pair's stubborn resistance could prove to be match-saving with rain forecast for the final day on Wednesday. 

They had resumed at 20 for three, needing another 276 runs to even make New Zealand bat again, after Tom Latham's maiden double century of 264 not out had powered the hosts to a massive first innings total of 578. 

They frustrated New Zealand's bowlers, who resorted to a short-pitched attack early on, changed to a fuller length towards lunch, then virtually shut down the scoring during the middle session with Ajaz Patel shoring up one end. 

Nothing, however, worked against Mendis and Mathews, who were untroubled on a pitch offering little in the way of sideways seam movement, although left-arm spinner Patel got the occasional delivery to bite and bounce. 

Mendis was the more fluent with some memorable drives down the ground before he brought up his sixth test century shortly after tea when he pulled a short delivery from Neil Wagner fine for his 12th boundary.

Mathews achieved his ninth century about an hour before stumps when he drove Colin de Grandhomme through midwicket for his 11th boundary. 
He then proceeded to do some pushups mid-pitch -- a potential riposte at the selectors who dropped him in September from the one day squad for fitness reasons. 
It was the third successive innings in New Zealand that Mathews has resurrected his side's fortunes when staring at embarrassment.

The 31-year-old top-scored with 83 in Sri Lanka's first innings of 282 and combined with Dimuth Karunaratne for a 133-run partnership after they slumped to nine for three inside the first four overs. 

That innings followed on from his score of 128 not out in Sri Lanka's only warmup game against an inexperienced New Zealand selection in Napier, when they had slumped to 104 for nine before he pushed them to 210 for nine declared.

Sri Lanka  1st innings
 Danushka Gunathilaka  lbw Tim Southee                                1
 Dimuth Karunaratne    c BJ Watling b Neil Wagner                    79
 Dhananjaya de Silva   c BJ Watling b Tim Southee                     1
 Kusal Mendis          c Ajaz Patel b Tim Southee                     2
 Angelo Mathews        c BJ Watling b Tim Southee                    83
 Dinesh Chandimal      c Ajaz Patel b Tim Southee                     6
 Niroshan Dickwella    Not Out                                       80
 Dilruwan Perera       c BJ Watling b Colin de Grandhomme            16
 Suranga Lakmal        c Henry Nicholls b Neil Wagner                 3
 Kasun Rajitha         c BJ Watling b Trent Boult                     2
 Lahiru Kumara         c Colin de Grandhomme b Tim Southee            0
 Extras                0b 7lb 2nb 0pen 0w                             9
 Total                 (90.0 overs)                         282 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-5 Gunathilaka, 2-7 de Silva, 3-9 Mendis, 4-142 Karunaratne, 5-167 Chandimal, 6-187 Mathews, 7-223 Perera, 8-240 Lakmal, 9-275 Rajitha, 10-282 Kumara

 Bowling              Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex
 Trent Boult          27   6  83   1  3.07
 Tim Southee          27   7  68   6  2.52
 Colin de Grandhomme  13   2  35   1  2.69  1nb
 Neil Wagner          20   2  75   2  3.75  1nb
 Ajaz Patel            3   0  14   0  4.67

 New Zealand  1st innings
 Jeet Raval           c Niroshan Dickwella b Lahiru Kumara             43
 Tom Latham           Not Out                                         264
 Kane Williamson      c Kasun Rajitha b Dhananjaya de Silva            91
 Ross Taylor          c Dimuth Karunaratne b Lahiru Kumara             50
 Henry Nicholls       c Kasun Rajitha b Dilruwan Perera                50
 BJ Watling           c Niroshan Dickwella b Lahiru Kumara              0
 Colin de Grandhomme  c Kasun Rajitha b Dhananjaya de Silva            49
 Tim Southee          Run Out Dinesh Chandimal                          6
 Neil Wagner          c Dhananjaya de Silva b Suranga Lakmal            0
 Ajaz Patel           b Dilruwan Perera                                 6
 Trent Boult          c Niroshan Dickwella b Lahiru Kumara             11
 Extras               0b 5lb 2nb 0pen 1w                                8
 Total                (157.3 overs)                           578 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-59 Raval, 2-221 Williamson, 3-312 Taylor, 4-426 Nicholls, 5-426 Watling, 6-499 de Grandhomme, 7-520 Southee, 8-520 Wagner, 9-549 Patel, 10-578 Boult

 Bowling                 Ov  Md   Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex
 Suranga Lakmal          31   6   88   1  2.84  1nb
 Kasun Rajitha           34   5  144   0  4.24  1w 1nb
 Angelo Mathews           4   3    1   0  0.25
 Dilruwan Perera         40   1  156   2  3.90
 Lahiru Kumara         31.3   2  127   4  4.03
 Dhananjaya de Silva     15   0   54   2  3.60
 Danushka Gunathilaka     2   1    3   0  1.50

 Sri Lanka  2nd innings
 Danushka Gunathilaka  lbw Trent Boult                  3
 Dimuth Karunaratne    c Trent Boult b Tim Southee     10
 Dhananjaya de Silva   b Tim Southee                    0
 Kusal Mendis          Not Out                        116
 Angelo Mathews        Not Out                        117
 Extras                0b 2lb 3nb 0pen 8w              13
 Total                 (102.0 overs)                259-3
Fall of Wickets : 1-5 Gunathilaka, 2-10 de Silva, 3-13 Karunaratne
To Bat : Chandimal, Dickwella, Perera, Lakmal, Rajitha, Kumara

 Bowling              Ov  Md   Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex
 Tim Southee          20   6   36   2  1.80
 Trent Boult          21   3   50   1  2.38
 Neil Wagner          21   2  100   0  4.76  4w 2nb
 Colin de Grandhomme  13   4   24   0  1.85  1nb
 Ajaz Patel           26   8   46   0  1.77
 Jeet Raval            1   0    1   0  1.00