The Sri Lanka men’s cricket team poses after winning the test series against New Zealand

Action from the match Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

By M. Shamil reporting from Galle

Debutant Nishan Peiris and Prabath Jayasuriya dominated proceedings in Sri Lanka’s convincing innings and 154-run win against New Zealand on day four of the second Test match, concluded at the Galle International Stadium yesterday, which saw the host side complete a clean sweep 2-0 in the two-match series.

The dominance of the spinners was visible as the pair shared 18 of the 20 wickets in the two innings of the New Zealanders. Peiris ended with a six-wicket haul in New Zealand’s second innings, following Jayasuriya’s five-wicket haul in New Zealand’s first innings.

New Zealand came into the field on day four with the daunting task of erasing a further 315 runs to avoid an innings defeat, which they were unable to achieve as they could muster only another 161 runs, being bowled out for 360 runs.

The day belonged to debutant Nishan Peiris, who bagged the first wicket in the morning in the third over, that of Tom Blundell, who added 13 runs to his overnight score for a knock of 67 that included six boundaries and two sixes. Blundell, along with Glenn Phillips, put on a valuable 95-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner put in some resistance, but even then, New Zealand had a long way to go. The duo, joining New Zealand on 216/6, saw them accumulating runs comfortably and helped the Kiwis reach the 250-run mark.

With the pair having associated in a 64-run stand for the seventh wicket, spinner Peiris struck again with the prized wicket of Glenn Phillips, the other overnight batsman, who made 78 with six boundaries and three sixes.

New Zealand skipper Tim Southee, who joined Santner, did not last long as he fell victim to Prabath Jayasuriya. Santner and Ajaz Patel stuck together as they succeeded in holding on until the lunch break with New Zealand at 335/8, with Santner unbeaten on 48.

The post-lunch session saw Santner racing to his half-century off 97 balls, which included four boundaries and two sixes. This was followed by a 50-run stand for the ninth wicket between Santner and Patel before they were separated by the dismissal of Patel by Jayasuriya, having shared a 53-run stand for the ninth wicket.

The nail in the coffin was hit by Prabath Jayasuriya, who bagged the last New Zealand wicket, that of Mitchell Santner, who had scored a dogged 67 off 115 balls, which included six boundaries and three sixes, as they folded up for 360 runs.

For the record, this was the third biggest follow-on enforced in Test cricket history, with the first being 702 runs by England against Australia, which they won by an innings and 579 runs in 1938, and the second being 570 runs by Pakistan against New Zealand, which Pakistan won by an innings and 324 runs in 2002.