Sri Lanka begin fightback after Southee’s early scalps

Half-centuries from Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews have helped Sri Lanka stave off disaster in the first cricket test against New Zealand at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.

Reeling at 9/3 in the opening day’s fourth over, the tourists stopped the rot with a big century partnership that took the fire out of the Blackcaps’ bowling attack.

Karunaratne brought up his 50 shortly after lunch, but had to survive a big chance during the morning session.  

Shortly after drinks, he was on his way back to the pavillion, after lobbing Colin de Grandhomme to midwicket, but was called back, when replays showed the bowler had overstepped his mark.

Karunaratne and Mathews reached lunch at 73/3, and both brought up their milestones during the afternoon session, before the opener finally snicked Neil Wagner down the legside to wicketkeeper BJ Watling for 79.

The pair had put on 133 runs together and Sri Lanka were 142/4.

Earlier, Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson won the toss and his bowlers wasted little time taking an upper hand in the opening session.

In the day’s second over, Tim Southee had opener Danushka Gunathilaka trapped leg before wicket for one run, leaving the tourists at 6/1.

In his next over, Southee found the edge of Dhananjaya de Silva’s bat and Watling completed the catch, reducing Sri Lanka to 7/2.

Later that same over, he enticed Kusal Mendis into a lofted shot that was caught at midwicket by Ajaz Patel. Sri Lanka were 9/3 and Southee had 3/2 in eight balls.

But Karunaratne and Mathews proved resolute in the fightback.

Williamson liked the look of the green wicket at the Basin Reserve and decided to unleash his three-pronged pace-bowling attack of Southee, Wagner and Trent Boult.
Fresh from their historic away series victory over Pakistan in UAE last week, the Blackcaps faced the challenge of adapting back to more familiar local conditions, which saw Wagner replace second spinner Will Somerville in the line-up.

“It’s not too bad,” Williamson said of that adjustment. “It’s almost like a continuation of that series, but on the other side of the world.”

Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal admitted he would have made the same decision if he had won the toss.

New Zealand have won their last five tests against Sri Lanka and if they can win both tests, they would improve their world test ranking from fourth to second, behind India - their highest-ever standing.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka are reeling from a series whitewash against England at home and currently rank sixth in the world.

New Zealand: Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel, Trent Boult

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara 

Source: Newshub