AFP
Galle (Sri Lanka)
Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel became the first New Zealander to claim a five-wicket haul in Galle as the tourists restricted Sri Lanka to 227 for seven at stumps on day two of the first Test on Thursday.
In reply to New Zealand’s first innings total of 249 all out, Sri Lanka were on 143 for two as Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis laid the foundation for a big total.
However a lapse of concentration saw Mendis throw away his wicket in the penultimate ball before tea and they collapsed, losing five wickets for the addition of 18 runs.
From 143 for two, Sri Lanka slumped to 161 for seven before an unfinished 66-run stand for the eighth wicket between Niroshan Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal stopped the rot with the hosts trailing by 22 runs.
It was the second five-wicket haul in Test cricket for Bombay-born Patel, who was tidy with his length.
Patel was not afraid to flight the ball even after Mendis completed his 10th Test half-century with a boundary off him.
For the next delivery, the penultimate ball before tea, Mendis attempted to play an expansive drive without much foot work and was caught at first slip by Ross Taylor.
The slide continued after tea with Kusal Perera (1) and Dhananjaya de Silva (5) adding to the misery.
Mathews was dismissed soon after completing his half-century, becoming Patel’s fifth victim. "I think with surfaces like that offer you something, you’ve got to stay patient and ask good questions of the batsman,” Patel told reporters.
"We know Sri Lankans are good players of spin, so you’ve got to respect that and make sure you put balls in good areas for long period. I think you’ve got to keep hanging in and play the long game. Yes, there’s turn, but it’s slow turn.”
Off-spinner William Somerville joined the party, dismissing Akila Dananjaya for a sixth ball duck.
Lakmal, who had claimed four wickets earlier in the day, then gave solid support to Dickwella as Sri Lanka fought back. Lakmal was given out caught at slip when he was on nine but he successfully reviewed the decision.ScoreboardNew Zealand (1st innings, overnight 203/5):
J. Raval c De Silva b Dananjaya 33
T. Latham c Dickwella b Dananjaya 30
K. Williamson c Karunaratne b Dananjaya 0
R. Taylor c Dickwella b Lakmal 86
H. Nicholls lbw b Dananjaya 42
B.J. Watling lbw b Dananjaya 1
M. Santner lbw b Lakmal 13
T. Southee run out (De Silva) 14
W. Somerville not out 9
T. Boult c Perera b Lakmal 18
A. Patel lbw b Lakmal 0
Extras: (nb 1, lb 2) 3
Total: (all out, 83.2 overs, 335 minutes) 249
Fall of wickets: 1-64 (Latham), 2-64 (Williamson), 3-71 (Raval), 4-171 (Nicholls), 5-179 (Watling), 6- 205 (Taylor), 7-216 (Santner), 8-222 (Southee), 9-249 (Boult), 10-249 (Patel)
Bowling: Lakmal 15.2-5-29-4 (1nb), Kumara 10-1-37-0, Dananjaya 30-3-80-5, De Silva 6-0-20-0, Embuldeniya 22-1-81-0
Sri Lanka (2nd innings)
D. Karunaratne lbw b Patel 39
L. Thirimanne st Watling b Patel 10
K. Mendis c Taylor b Patel 53
A. Mathews c Taylor b Patel 50
K. Perera c Santner b Boult 1
D. de Silva c & b Patel 5
N. Dickwella not out 39
A. Dananjaya c Taylor b Somerville 0
S. Lakmal not out 28
Extras: (w 1, lb 1) 2
Total: (for seven wickets, 80 overs, 319 minutes) 227
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Thirimanne), 2-66 (Karunaratne), 3-143 (Mendis), 4-144 (Perera), 5-155 (De Silva), 6-158 (Mathews), 7-161 (Dananjaya).
To bat: Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Kumara.
Bowling: Boult 13-3-24-1 (1w), Southee 7-3-17-0, Somerville 20-2-78-1, Patel 29-6-76-5, Santner 11-0-31-0. Toss: New Zealand
Galle (Sri Lanka)
Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel became the first New Zealander to claim a five-wicket haul in Galle as the tourists restricted Sri Lanka to 227 for seven at stumps on day two of the first Test on Thursday.
In reply to New Zealand’s first innings total of 249 all out, Sri Lanka were on 143 for two as Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis laid the foundation for a big total.
However a lapse of concentration saw Mendis throw away his wicket in the penultimate ball before tea and they collapsed, losing five wickets for the addition of 18 runs.
From 143 for two, Sri Lanka slumped to 161 for seven before an unfinished 66-run stand for the eighth wicket between Niroshan Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal stopped the rot with the hosts trailing by 22 runs.
It was the second five-wicket haul in Test cricket for Bombay-born Patel, who was tidy with his length.
Patel was not afraid to flight the ball even after Mendis completed his 10th Test half-century with a boundary off him.
For the next delivery, the penultimate ball before tea, Mendis attempted to play an expansive drive without much foot work and was caught at first slip by Ross Taylor.
The slide continued after tea with Kusal Perera (1) and Dhananjaya de Silva (5) adding to the misery.
Mathews was dismissed soon after completing his half-century, becoming Patel’s fifth victim. "I think with surfaces like that offer you something, you’ve got to stay patient and ask good questions of the batsman,” Patel told reporters.
"We know Sri Lankans are good players of spin, so you’ve got to respect that and make sure you put balls in good areas for long period. I think you’ve got to keep hanging in and play the long game. Yes, there’s turn, but it’s slow turn.”
Off-spinner William Somerville joined the party, dismissing Akila Dananjaya for a sixth ball duck.
Lakmal, who had claimed four wickets earlier in the day, then gave solid support to Dickwella as Sri Lanka fought back. Lakmal was given out caught at slip when he was on nine but he successfully reviewed the decision.ScoreboardNew Zealand (1st innings, overnight 203/5):
J. Raval c De Silva b Dananjaya 33
T. Latham c Dickwella b Dananjaya 30
K. Williamson c Karunaratne b Dananjaya 0
R. Taylor c Dickwella b Lakmal 86
H. Nicholls lbw b Dananjaya 42
B.J. Watling lbw b Dananjaya 1
M. Santner lbw b Lakmal 13
T. Southee run out (De Silva) 14
W. Somerville not out 9
T. Boult c Perera b Lakmal 18
A. Patel lbw b Lakmal 0
Extras: (nb 1, lb 2) 3
Total: (all out, 83.2 overs, 335 minutes) 249
Fall of wickets: 1-64 (Latham), 2-64 (Williamson), 3-71 (Raval), 4-171 (Nicholls), 5-179 (Watling), 6- 205 (Taylor), 7-216 (Santner), 8-222 (Southee), 9-249 (Boult), 10-249 (Patel)
Bowling: Lakmal 15.2-5-29-4 (1nb), Kumara 10-1-37-0, Dananjaya 30-3-80-5, De Silva 6-0-20-0, Embuldeniya 22-1-81-0
Sri Lanka (2nd innings)
D. Karunaratne lbw b Patel 39
L. Thirimanne st Watling b Patel 10
K. Mendis c Taylor b Patel 53
A. Mathews c Taylor b Patel 50
K. Perera c Santner b Boult 1
D. de Silva c & b Patel 5
N. Dickwella not out 39
A. Dananjaya c Taylor b Somerville 0
S. Lakmal not out 28
Extras: (w 1, lb 1) 2
Total: (for seven wickets, 80 overs, 319 minutes) 227
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Thirimanne), 2-66 (Karunaratne), 3-143 (Mendis), 4-144 (Perera), 5-155 (De Silva), 6-158 (Mathews), 7-161 (Dananjaya).
To bat: Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Kumara.
Bowling: Boult 13-3-24-1 (1w), Southee 7-3-17-0, Somerville 20-2-78-1, Patel 29-6-76-5, Santner 11-0-31-0. Toss: New Zealand