Battle of attrition as both teams try to grab initiative

• Sri Lanka leads overall by 202 with two days left

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka fought back initially through their bowlers and then their batsmen to end the third day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand as the happier of the two teams at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Sri Lanka finished the day on 237-4 in their second innings to lead by 202 runs with two days of the match remaining. New Zealand was dismissed for 340 in their first innings in reply to Sri Lanka’s 305.  

Following the poor lines and lengths they bowled on the second day Sri Lanka spinners found better control and were duly rewarded as they took the remaining six wickets for 85 runs. 49 of those runs came off the bat of Glenn Phillips who smashed five sixes and two fours in an aggressive knock of 49* off 48 balls, that gave New Zealand a useful first innings lead of 35.

Spinners Prabath Jayasuriya (4/136) and Ramesh Mendis (3/101) took all the wickets to fall yesterday with the exception of Daryll Mitchell who ran himself out when well set for 57 (86 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) attempting a sharp 

single.

Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka for 2 falling to Will O’Rourke for the second time in the match, but experienced pair Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal got together in a great partnership taking Sri Lanka to 134-1 without any further loss by tea.

 It was the first wicket-less session in the Test as 102 runs were added. Karunaratne looked his usual composed self, using his feet nicely to not let the spinners settle into a rhythm. Chandimal was all grit, determination and technique. Barring the odd false stroke, both batters rarely looked like getting out as they stitched together a partnership of 147.

Karunaratne went to his 39th Test fifty off 78 balls (5 fours) and his 8th at Galle, and Chandimal followed suit reaching his landmark off 104 balls (5 fours) for his 29th Test fifty and 6th against New Zealand. But when things were looking bright for Sri Lanka, they lost both set batters within seven balls of each other.

Karunaratne trying to sweep a ball from the rough was bowled by Ajaz Patel for 83 (127 balls, 6 fours) and Chandimal followed quickly for 61 (150 balls, 6 fours) as he fell into the leg trap flicking a ball from Will O’Rourke to leg gully.  

O’Rourke got plenty out of the pitch where no other bowler has been able to do anything. He picked up his third wicket of the innings to add to his five in the first innings when he cut short in-form batter Kamindu Mendis’ innings at 13 by forcing him to edge a catch to slip. Sri Lanka had lost three wickets in a cluster and New Zealand sensed an opening to get ahead but skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews stuck it out at the crease in conditions that was not easy to bat with the odd ball exploding off the surface. Mathews survived a close lbw shout off the penultimate over, but the pair managed to negotiate the day without suffering any further damage having put on 59 runs together.

Both batsmen resume day four on Sunday on 34* each after today’s rest day (due to the Presidential election).