Kiwis crush SL to level series
New Zealand skittled Sri Lanka out for 122 on Monday to secure a series-levelling victory by an innings and 65 runs on the final day of a rain-hit second Test in Colombo.
New Zealand had batted on for five overs in the morning, allowing BJ Watling to complete a century before declaring their first-innings closed on 431 for six in reply to Sri Lanka’s 244.
That gave the tourists, who lost the opening Test in Galle, a lead of 187 with 91 overs of play left and their bowlers provided the early strikes they needed to reduce Sri Lanka to 32 for five.
“A great effort to push for victory and ultimately come out on the winning side,” New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said at the presentation ceremony.
“Naturally when the game starts coming so close, and the light’s always a factor here as well this time of the year.
“But it was an outstanding effort from the first innings itself. And then the batters scored at a rate that allowed us to move the game forward. Deserve to be 1-1.”
The Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne blamed his side’s batting in the first innings for defeat.
“I think it was a pretty good wicket,” he said. “We needed to be patient and put a big score, 240-odd wasn’t enough.
“We need some partnerships, we keep losing wickets regularly. That’s the key ... once the batters get a start, we need to get a big one.”
SCORES IN BRIEF
SRI LANKA: First innings 244 and second innings 122 all out (Mendis 20, Dickwella 51, Karunaratne 21; Boult 2-17, Southee 2-15, Patel 2-31, Somerville 2-49)
NEW ZEALAND: First innings 431 for 6 decl (Latham 154, Williamson 20, Taylor 23, Watling 105 not out, De Grandhomme 83, Southee 24 not out; Perera 3-114, Embuldeniya 2-156)
Result: New Zealand won by an innings and 65 runs and level two-match series 1-1.
Player-of-the-match: Tom Latham
Player-of-the-series: BJ Watling
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