CHRISTCHURCH: Sri Lanka’s pacemen crashed through New Zealand’s batting lineup, including snaring the key wicket of Kane Williamson, to leave the Black Caps in trouble at 162-5 on day two of the first Test in Christchurch, still trailing by 193 runs in reply to the tourists’ first innings total of 355.

Number five Daryl Mitchell was 40 not out and all-rounder Michael Bracewell was on nine at stumps at Hagley Oval on Friday, the pair tasked with a rescue job after a second day dominated by the south Asians.

New Zealand’s openers cruised in a 67-run stand before Devon Conway was trapped lbw for 30 by Asitha Fernando.

The wicket triggered a collapse, with Williamson (1) and Henry Nicholls (2) dismissed in quick succession by a fired-up Lahiru Kumara as New Zealand lost three wickets for nine runs.

Tom Latham battled to a stubborn half-century in a 58-run partnership with Mitchell before he was bowled by Fernando for 67.

Kasun Rajitha then capped Sri Lanka’s day by securing a third wicket after tea when he had in-form wicketkeeper Tom Blundell caught behind for seven.

“If we can get as close to their score as possible then hopefully we’ll be able to put a bit of pressure on them with the ball because as we’ve seen there’s plenty in it for the bowlers,” Latham said.

Sri Lanka are bidding to grab an unlikely place in the World Test Championship final against Australia.

They will qualify if they can sweep New Zealand in this two-Test series and if Australia can deny India victory in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad.

“We’re doing pretty good,” an elated Rajitha said at stumps. “This can happen tomorrow as well. This wicket is helpful for the fast bowlers, that’s why we were trying to get wickets before tea.

“It’s a good wicket for the batsmen but they can’t trust the bounce.”

Sri Lanka had frustrated New Zealand from the start of the day when they resumed at 305-6 and added another 50 as they stretched the innings for a further 17 overs.

Overnight pair Dhananjaya de Silva and Rajitha clipped 11 off the opening over of the morning before skipper Tim Southee entered the attack and had De Silva caught behind for 46.

When the new ball became due, Matt Henry had Rajitha caught at mid-off for 22 and New Zealand sensed the end was near.

But Prabath Jayasuriya and Lahiru Kumara, while only adding five runs, lasted 38 deliveries for the ninth wicket.

Henry eventually had Jayasu­riya caught beh­ind for 13, leaving Kumara (13 not out) and Fernando (10) to add a further 19 runs off 26 deliveries for the final wicket.

For New Zea­land, Southee finished with 5-64 and Henry 4-80.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 305-6):

O. Fernando c Blundell b Southee13

D. Karunaratne c Latham b Henry50

K. Mendis lbw Southee87

A. Mathews c Mitchell b Henry47

D. Chandimal c Latham b Southee39

D. de Silva c Blundell b Southee46

N. Dickwella lbw Bracewell7

K. Rajitha c Williamson b Henry22

P. Jayasuriya c Blundell b Henry13

L. Kumara not out13

A. Fernando lbw Southee10

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-2)8

TOTAL (all out; 92.4 overs)355

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-14 (Fernando), 2-151 (Mendis), 3-151 (Karunaratne), 4-233 (Chandimal), 5-260 (Mathews), 6-268 (Dickwella), 7-316 (de Silva), 8-331 (Rajitha), 9-336 (Jayasuriya)

BOWLING: Southee 26.4-10-64-5, Henry 26-8-80-4, Tickner 20-2-103-0 (1w), Wagner 10-1-68-0 (1w), Mitchell 7-3-17-0, Bracewell 3-0-17-1

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings):

T. Latham b A. Fernando67

D. Conway lbw A. Fernando30

K. Williamson c Karunaratne b Kumara1

H. Nicholls c Rajitha b Kumara2

D. Mitchell not out40

T. Blundell c Dickwella b Rajitha7

M. Bracewell not out9

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-1)6

TOTAL (for five wickets, 63.0 overs)162

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-67 (Conway), 2-70 (Williamson), 3-76 (Nicholls), 4-134 (Latham), 5-151 Blundell

STILL TO BAT: T. Southee, M. Henry, N. Wagner, B. Tickner

BOWLING: Rajitha 19-7-38-1, A. Fernando 19-5-42-2, Kumara 14-5-34 (1w), de Silva 6-1-14-0, Mathews 3-0-18-0, Jayasuriya 2-0-11-0

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2023