There were breezy fifties from Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, and Rachin Ravindra also put forward an aggressive cameo. By the time an extended final session ended 15 minutes early due to bad light, there were more names on that list, as Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell had put together an unbeaten stand of 59 off 105. Theirs was the fourth 50-plus stand of the innings on a day that belonged almost in totality to the visitors.
After William O’Rourke’s five-wicket haul restricted Sri Lanka to 305 in the morning session, fifties from Tom Latham and Kane Williamson helped the visitors reduce their deficit down to double digits by close of play on Day 2 in Galle. Though Sri Lanka managed to dismiss both, New Zealand carried on through contributions from Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell.
Day 2 : Morning Session : William O’Rourke fifer bundles out Sri Lanka in rain-curtailed session
In a heavily curtailed opening session on Day 2 of the first Test in Galle, New Zealand managed to limit Sri Lanka to 305 thanks to William O’Rourke’s five-wicket haul. New Zealand were 5/0, having played only one over when rain forced the players off the field again and the officials decided to call an early Lunch.
Sri Lanka, who started the day at 302/7, lost Prabhat Jayasuriya in the third over of the morning as Ajaz Patel trapped him in front. Following the wicket, it began to rain and led to a delay of 45 minutes. Soon after resumption, O’Rourke accounted for Ramesh Mendis (lbw) and Asitha Fernando (bowled) as Sri Lanka could add only three runs to their overnight total at the cost of three wickets.
Tom Latham got off the mark with a single off Fernando while Devon Conway struck a boundary for his first runs. The players, though, had to rush to the pavilion as it began to rain again. Lunch was taken at 12:00 PM Local time, with revised timings for the rest of the day – Tea at 3:10 PM and Stumps at 6:00 PM, conditions permitting.
All this happened despite a rain-curtailed morning session during which only 15 minutes of play were possible. But that was all it took for New Zealand to pick up the remaining three Sri Lanka wickets. During the heavily rain-affected morning session, William O’Rourke starred once more, adding two further wickets to his overnight tally, to end with figures of 5 for 55 as Sri Lanka were bowled out adding just three runs to their overnight total.
Day 2 : Post Lunch Session : Tom Latham, Kane Williamson lead New Zealand’s fightback
Senior batters Tom Latham and Kane Williamson set about leading New Zealand’s riposte in the afternoon session on Day 2 in Galle after the hosts were bundled out for 305 in the morning. Sri Lanka largely struggled in the second session, but walked away having dismissed Latham at the stroke of Tea. At that break, New Zealand reached 136/2.
Tom Latham started the session in some style as he hit Asitha Fernando for two fours in an over – one down the ground and another through square leg. Asitha even conceded four byes in the same over down the leg side. Tom Latham and Devon Conway made slow but steady progress even as Dhananjaya de Silva brought himself into the attack against the two left-handers.
He, however, bowled just two overs before handing the ball to Ramesh Mendis who broke through in his sixth over of the spell. Mendis beat Conway on the front foot and a loud appeal for an LBW ensued. Sri Lanka quickly sent the call upstairs when they were denied by the on-field umpire and reaped a reward for that decision.
For the next period of a little more than an hour, Tom Latham and Williamson built the New Zealand innings without any further damage. On the other side of the drinks break, Williamson even gave Mendis the charge and hit him for a six over long-on and pulled the next ball that was short from the spinner, for a four. The former captain forced the spinner to alter lengths and Sri Lanka to find different plans for further inroads.
That didn’t come until the very end as both Tom Latham and Williamson got comfortable in the middle and stitched a big stand. Tom Latham in particular was effective against the spinners, bringing out the sweep shot at will. But it was one such shot against a ball that bounced a little more that brought an end to his innings.
Tom Latham looked to sweep a tossed up delivery from Prabhat Jayasuriya, only for the ball to lob up off a top-edge. Substitute fielder Sadeera Samarawickrama ran in from backward short leg and dived forward to complete a good catch. With that, the session came to a close.
Earlier in the day, it was Tom Latham and Williamson who proved to be Sri Lanka’s tormentors. Latham, in particular, provided the blueprint during his 111-ball 70, both with his footwork and, more potently, prolific use of the sweep and reverse sweep.
While Devon Conway never really looked anywhere close to his flowing best, laboring his way to 17 off 59 deliveries, Latham was more than making up for it at the other end. This ensured a solid opening stand of 63, one brought to an end against the run of play – and upon review – with Conway missing one from Ramesh Mendis that straightened after pitching.
Instead of bringing Sri Lanka back into proceedings, the wicket only hastened New Zealand’s advancement as Williamson easily matched Tom Latham’s urgency. Within his first 14 deliveries, the former captain had cut, pulled and lofted two boundaries and a six, and while that rate of scoring was never going to be maintained, the Sri Lanka spinners’ wayward lines allied with expert maneuvering from both Williamson and Tom Latham meant dot balls were rarely strung together.
That Sri Lanka eventually broke the 73-run stand, which took only 120 balls, was down to the batter’s error more than the bowlers’ effectiveness, as Latham’s most potent weapon – the sweep – became his undoing, when he top-edged to backward square leg off Jayasuriya at the stroke of tea.
Day 2 : Afternoon Session : New Zealand cut deficit to 50 runs with Tom Latham, Kane Williamson fifties on Day 2
After William O’Rourke’s five-wicket haul restricted Sri Lanka to 305 in the morning session, fifties from Tom Latham and Kane Williamson helped the visitors reduce their deficit down to double digits by close of play on Day 2 in Galle. Though Sri Lanka managed to dismiss both, New Zealand carried on through contributions from Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell.
In a rain-addled morning session, the home side added just three runs to their overnight tally of 302/7 as Ajaz Patel and O’Rourke mopped up the tail. There was however, very little action possible in the start-stop session. Following an early Lunch, New Zealand built their innings through successive strong alliances. It began with a 63-run stand between Tom Latham and Devon Conway.
Tom Latham started with two boundaries in an over from Asitha Fernando but the opening pair largely made slow and steady progress as Dhananjaya de Silva tried different bowling options, including himself. Ramesh Mendis broke through soon, as he had Conway trapped leg before – a decision that came about after Sri Lanka took a review.
On the other side of the Tea break, New Zealand continued to move on in pairs. Williamson had the enterprising Ravindra join him that kept the left-right batting combination going. Ravindra made a streaky start but settled in soon to play a short but swift cameo worth 39 runs that came off just 48 deliveries. In his company, Williamson brought up his 35th Test fifty, before another bowling change from Dhananjaya did the trick.
This time it was the captain himself who broke the partnership, by smartly using the rough patch outside the leg stump of the right-hander. Williamson went to flick the tossed up delivery away but the ball turned and went behind off the edge where Kusal Mendis took an exceptional, diving catch. Within the next two overs, Ravindra was sent packing too – by the Sri Lankan skipper. New Zealand then recovered from the stumble via their fifth-wicket stand.
Daryl Mitchell took on Dhananjaya with a four and a six and made his runs at a fairly brisk pace throughout. Tom Blundell was more watchful of the two as Sri Lanka’s efforts to find a way through one more time before stumps went in vain. Mitchell and Blundell added an undefeated stand worth 59 to take the team to stumps in a strong position.
Road Ahead on Day 3 for NZ and SL
An excellent day for New Zealand this. They’ve put themselves in a really strong position. It started perfectly for them as they skittled out Sri Lanka’s 3 remaining wickets while allowing them to add just 3 more runs to their overnight total. Rain washed out most of the first session and allowed just 4.5 overs of play but New Zealand had already begun their innings by then. The openers shared a 63-run stand before Conway was trapped lbw.
Tom Latham and Williamson batted exceptionally well thereafter and shared a 73-run stand while piling the pressure back on the Sri Lankans. Tom Latham only fell right at the end of the second session but Williamson carried on and brought up fifty after play resumed post tea.
Ravindra came out and played some attacking shots as well but Sri Lanka had an opening when they got Williamson and Ravindra out in quick succession. But Mitchell and Blundell who walked in next battened down the hatches again and batted solidly. Superb cricket all around really. Sri Lanka toiled hard and New Zealand capitalized on anything remotely loose. While Sri Lanka batted really well, New Zealand have matched them.
A disciplined batting performance on the second day has sit-ups New Zealand into a position of control over the hosts in Galle. After Will O’Rourke’s 5-wicket haul kept Sri Lanka down to 305, the visitors saw every top-order batter getting about start, but it was half-centuries from Tom Latham and Kane Williamson which saw them gain ascendancy. Both though failed to convert their starts into significant scores, but Daryl Mitchell has looked positive and the onus will be on the right-hander to push the score forward.
New Zealand are 255 for 4 and only 50 runs behind the hosts at the moment – any lead is a good lead in sub-continental conditions, but on a pitch which is already showing signs of deterioration, New Zealand will need a good enough first-innings lead to put the hosts under pressure, considering they’ll have to bat last.
Sri Lanka will hope for a better bowling effort, especially from their spinners, who were guilty of constantly dropping it too short or too full. There’s enough help and bite from the surface and they will still believe that they are a couple of early wickets away from restricting New Zealand.