New Zealand v Sri Lanka 2nd Test, Day 3 Review: Home side needs 47 runs with 5 wickets in hand to seal the series

Sri Lanka began the day needing one wicket to end New Zealand’s first innings which they managed to get in six balls. This was followed by their best opening stand of the year in Tests, a partnership of 71 runs between Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis and then they lost 10 wickets for 62 runs in 13.5 overs in a monumental collapse. The hosts, needing 189 to win, ended day 3 of this gripping Test match on 142/5.

Tim Southee, the wrecker in chief, and other fast bowlers came up with a plan to bowl short at the islanders. Karunaratne and Udara Jayasundera were out fending. Dinesh Chandimal picked out leg gully. Mendis, the top-scorer with 46, and Angelo Mathews fell hooking and a comedy of errors ensured a run out involving the tail-enders. Southee picked up 4/26 while Neil Wagner and Doug Bracewell  bent their back brilliantly to pick up 3 and 2 wickets respectively. Apart from the Lankan openers only Milinda Siriwardana showed some fight scoring 26 off 18 including 3 fours and 2 sixes.

Tom Latham and Martin Guptill fared no better in the second innings as Dushmantha Chameera kept the contest alive by removing both. At tea, New Zealand still needed 156 runs to win with 8 wickets in hand. A solid partnership between Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor continued in the last session as the two steadied the ship for the home side. It was once again Chameera who put up his hand when needed the most giving his team a much needed wicket by breaking the stand of 67 runs.

Taylor was dismissed off a rapid short ball that he tried to pull however top edged it to long leg where the 12th man Jeffrey Vandersay took a marvelous catch. The former Kiwi skipper made 35 and helped put his team in a decent position. The current skipper, Brendon McCullum, scored 18 before becoming Chameera 4th victim. The last wicket of the day was that of Mitchell Santner who got an absolute gem of a delivery from Suranga Lakmal that took the outside edge and landed in the safe hands of keeper Dinesh Chandimal behind the wickets. Williamson finished day unbeaten on classy 78 which included 7 fours and 1 six. Sri Lanka will need to strike very early on the 4th morning to make this fascinating Test match more dramatic.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 1^st Innings– 292/10 (A Mathews 77; T Southee 3/63)

New Zealand 1^st Innings– 237/10 (M Guptill 50; D Chameera 5/47)

Sri Lanka 2^nd Innings – 133/10 (K Mendis 46; T Southee 4/26)

New Zealand 2^nd Innings– 142/5 (K Williamson 78*; D Chameera 4/45)