[caption id="attachment_42865" align="alignleft" width="297"]
Ross Taylor was caught behind off Lakmal in the morning without any addition to his overnight score of 86[/caption]
Sri Lanka’s No. 7 and No.9 batsmen, Niroshan Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal, respectively shared a valiant 66 runs for the eighth wicket as the hosts posted 227/7 at the end of day two of the first cricket Test at Galle, when they replied to New Zealand’s first-innings total of 249 all out.
Sri Lanka now trail the Kiwis by 22 runs with three wickets in hand.
Wicket-keeper batman Dickwella who earned a Test recall after some months, fought hard for his unbeaten 39 made in 74 deliveries on a crumbling pitch which favoured spinners. He struck only a single four in his long stay at the crease. Lakmal meanwhile played second fiddle to Dickwella with a 79-ball 28 not out, which included two fours and a six.
But the highlight of the day was the five-wicket haul taken by New Zealand’s left-arm leg-spinner Ajaz Patel, for 76 runs in 29 overs. Sri Lanka slid from 143 for two, losing five wickets for 18 runs within nine overs to give away the initiative to the visitors on a usually spinning Galle track.
Spinners of the two sides are expected to play a decisive role in the remainder of the match. If the weather stays fine, the Test is expected to be a close tussle.
[caption id="attachment_42866" align="alignright" width="294"]
Akila Dananjaya took his fourth five-for only in his sixth Test[/caption]
Scores:
New Zealand first-innings 249 all out in 83.2 overs (Ross Taylor 86, Henry Nicholls 42, Jeet Raval 33, Tom Latham 30; Akila Dananjaya 5/80, Suranga Lakmal 4/29)
Sri Lanka first-innings 227/7 in 80 overs (Kusal Mendis 53, Angelo Mathews 50, Dimuth Karunaratne 39, Niroshan Dickwella 39 n.o., Suranga Lakmal 28 n.o.; Ajaz Patel 5/76)
Ross Taylor was caught behind off Lakmal in the morning without any addition to his overnight score of 86[/caption]
Sri Lanka’s No. 7 and No.9 batsmen, Niroshan Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal, respectively shared a valiant 66 runs for the eighth wicket as the hosts posted 227/7 at the end of day two of the first cricket Test at Galle, when they replied to New Zealand’s first-innings total of 249 all out.
Sri Lanka now trail the Kiwis by 22 runs with three wickets in hand.
Wicket-keeper batman Dickwella who earned a Test recall after some months, fought hard for his unbeaten 39 made in 74 deliveries on a crumbling pitch which favoured spinners. He struck only a single four in his long stay at the crease. Lakmal meanwhile played second fiddle to Dickwella with a 79-ball 28 not out, which included two fours and a six.
But the highlight of the day was the five-wicket haul taken by New Zealand’s left-arm leg-spinner Ajaz Patel, for 76 runs in 29 overs. Sri Lanka slid from 143 for two, losing five wickets for 18 runs within nine overs to give away the initiative to the visitors on a usually spinning Galle track.
Spinners of the two sides are expected to play a decisive role in the remainder of the match. If the weather stays fine, the Test is expected to be a close tussle.
[caption id="attachment_42866" align="alignright" width="294"] Akila Dananjaya took his fourth five-for only in his sixth Test[/caption]
Scores:
New Zealand first-innings 249 all out in 83.2 overs (Ross Taylor 86, Henry Nicholls 42, Jeet Raval 33, Tom Latham 30; Akila Dananjaya 5/80, Suranga Lakmal 4/29)
Sri Lanka first-innings 227/7 in 80 overs (Kusal Mendis 53, Angelo Mathews 50, Dimuth Karunaratne 39, Niroshan Dickwella 39 n.o., Suranga Lakmal 28 n.o.; Ajaz Patel 5/76)