Statistical Highlights – New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Test series, 2015

Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, but a challenge for the clay masters to outclass the kings of the grass court. Angelo Mathews traveled with a team that had little experience of what they would be served at the University Oval, Dunedin, and Hamilton; it showed in the manner they tackled it.

The conditions were not too tough for the batsmen neither too assistive for the pacers. Both the Tests gave an even chance to each class of skill to show character and shine. New Zealand quite comprehensively outplayed the visitors in the first Test; they posted a solid first innings total and bowled them over with a considerable lead, accumulated quick and quality runs that gave  them enough on the board and their bowlers sufficient time to get the 10-men. On the 5th day after batting for 95.2 and were bowled out for 282, handing the Kiwi’s a 122-run victory.

The 2nd Test wasn’t as one-sided as the Sri Lankan batsmen played with more surety and didn’t submit rather at the half-way stage in the match looked in a position to level the series. A downfall in the second innings and they were all done for 133 giving the Black Caps a target of 189 to win the Test and make it 2-0. It was ‘King’ Kane Williamson who showed his class, scored one of the more memorable hundreds and took his team home and with that they had it 2-0.

Here are the Statistical Highlights of the New Zealand v Sri Lanka Test series, 2015:

71– Number of runs added by Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis in the second innings of the second Test match was the highest opening stand for Sri Lanka this year.

9– Number of dismissals claimed by BJ Watling during the first Test match, which is the most by a Kiwi wicketkeeper-batsman in a Test match.

26- Number of sixes Mathews has struck in his Test career while playing as captain- which are the most for any Sri Lankan captain- Arjuna Ranatunga (25) and Jayasuriya, Jayawardene (19 each) are next on the list.

11- Number of Test wins for New Zealand under Brendon McCullum including 2^nd Test match win, now joint second-highest with Geoff Howarth for New Zealand, only Stepehn Fleming had won more Tests for New Zealand – 28.

901- Runs Dinesh Chandimal has scored in Tests this year- most among all Asian players in 2015. Angelo Mathews (845) and Younis Khan (789) are next on the list. Overall he is the 7th highest run-getter in Tests this year.

111– Number of fours hit by Chandimal in Tests this year- which are also the most by any Asian player in this year. His 7 fifty plus scores in this year are only joint equal to Misbah-ul-Haq’s 7 such scores in the Asian list.

226- Runs scored by Kane Williamson in this year in 4^th innings which is most by a player when compared to other players.

99- The highest number of consecutive Tests by a player from debut, now held by Brendon McCullum after he took the field in this match. During the Dunedin Test, McCullum had equaled AB de Villiers on 98. McCullum made his debut in Hamilton and got to the record at the same venue. The record of playing most consecutive Tests at any stage of a career is 153 by Allan Border.

5- Number of hundreds scored by Kane Williamson this year which is highest in the year and is at levels with Australian captain Steven Smith who has also scored 5 hundreds.

90.15- Average at which Kane Williamson has scored his runs this year which is most by any other batsman who has played eight or more Test matches this year.

6- Number of times Nuwan Pradeep has been out for a duck in this year which is more times than any other players apart from Jerome Taylor who has also been dismissed for duck six times in this year. He was out for duck in the 2^nd innings in 2^nd Test match of this series.

35- Number of dismissals claimed by BJ Watling in this year as a wicketkeeper which is second best. Only Jos Buttler has had more dismissals than him. Jos Buttler has to his name 38 dismissals till now.

667- Number of runs added by Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson this year which second best after David Warner and Chris Rogers who have added 720 runs the year.

21- Number of times D Karunaratne has been dismissed this year which is third highest in category of batsman who has been dismissed most number of times this year. Alastir Cook and Ben Stoke have been dismissed 23 times this year which is highest. D Karunaratne has dismissed most number of times this year among other Sri Lankan batsmen.

13- Number of consecutive Test matches won by New Zealand at home and now they have equalled their record of winning consecutive Test matches at home. The previous record was held during 1987-91.

9- Number of times England’s umpire Nigel Llong has been an umpire in Tests this year which is most apart from Bruce Oxenford who has also officiated in 9 Tests this year. This second Test match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was Llong’s ninth Test match as an umpire this year.

16.50- Average at which both Silva and Karunaratne have added runs for Sri Lanka which is worse than any other pair who have batted together at least 10 innings.

1172- Number of runs Kane Williamson has scored this year by batting at no.3 which is higher than any other batsman.

592- Number of runs scored by Dinesh Chandimal this year as a wicketkeeper-batsman is the most when compared to any other wicketkeeper- batsman. He has scored 592 runs in 13 innings.

845- Number of runs scored by Angelo Mathews as a captain of Sri Lanka this year which is second most runs scored by a captain. Alastir Cook has scored most runs as a skipper, he has scored 1357 runs in 13 Test matches this year.

2^nd– Kane Williamson is the second New Zealand batsman who has scored a century against Sri Lanka in the 4^th innings after Daniel Vettori. Williamson scored 108* runs in the 2^nd innings of the 2^nd Test match against Sri Lanka.

5^th– Williamson became the 5^th batsman of this year who has scored a century in 4^th innings against any particular team. The other four batsmen are Jason Holder, Angelo Mathews, Shan Masood and Younis Khan.

7- Number of Test matches Sri Lanka has lost this year, which is most by any team along with West Indies. Sri Lanka has played 11 Test matches this year and lost 7.

Here are some of the top record holders in a particular category in this 2-match Test series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

• Most Runs– Kane Williamson (268 Runs)
• Most Wickets– Tim Southee (13 Wickets)
• Most Fours– Martin Guptil (35 Fours)
• Most Sixes–Milinda Siriwardana (7 Sixes)
• Highest Batting Average– Kane Williamson (89.33)
• Most Fifties– Kane Williamson and Dinesh Chandimal (2)
• Best bowling figures in an innings– DushmanthaChameera (13-6-47-5)