WATLING RESISTS AS NZ BUILD 177-RUN LEAD
Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya made inroads but an unbeaten half century from B. J. Watling which followed a crucial fourth-wicket partnership between Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls helped New Zealand gain a valuable 177-run lead on the third of the first Test in Galle yesterday.
Watling countered every plan that Sri Lanka’s bowlers threw at him - an excellent example of patience, watchfulness and simplicity - batting for more than three hours to reach stumps on 63, with William Somerville,
himself having negotiated almost half an hour unbeaten on five.
When Watling walked out for the final session, on 20, it was with new partner in Tim Southee – Mitchell Santner’s wicket had resulted in a slightly early tea break – and a 56-run partnership ensued, frustrating the Sri Lankans through the post-tea session.
It didn’t help that Sri Lanka also dropped Southee twice, the most costly of which was when Kusal Mendis, at close-in gully, failed to hold on to a sharp chance when the fast bowler was on 10.
He was dropped again shortly before his dismissal off Lahiru Kumara’s bowling - the ball ricocheting of the hands of Dickwella and Angelo Mathews at first slip - with the bowler visibly furious with the missed chance.
That partnership was only second best to a fourth-wicket partnership between Latham and Nicholls for 56 runs, during the most productive period of play for the Kiwis, with Latham in particular looking to counter-attack the Sri Lankan bowlers. Latham had reached 45 off 81 balls, inclusive of three boundaries and a six, when the 68-ball partnership was broken by Akila Dananjaya. Embuldeniya, who bowled a marathon 18-over spell in the second session, accounted for three of the five wickets that fell during that passage of play and left New Zealand precariously placed on 124 for six at tea – a lead of 106 at that point. He struck with his second over after lunch when he drew Kane Williamson forward with a looping delivery before getting the ball to dip, forcing the New Zealand to a helpless mishit that was caught excellently at mid-off by a backtracking Kusal Janith Perera.
It was in a similar fashion that he dismissed Ross Taylor in his next over, though Taylor’s outside edge flew to Dhananjaya de Silva at first slip.
He bowled 15 more overs before his next breakthrough, though it came from a delivery that was perhaps not his best.
Bowling short and on a leg stump line, Mitchell Santner sensed the opportunity for a boundary in the last over before tea, but found the deep mid-wicket fielder.
His fourth wicket broke a fledging partnership between Watling and Tim Southee, by which time New Zealand’s lead had risen to 160.
De Silva also found success removing Jeet Ravel and Henry Nicholls.
Both teams were level at the lunch break, with New Zealand having just about wiped out Sri Lanka’s 18-run lead.
Niroshan Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal, whose 66-run stand on Thursday had helped
Sri Lanka recover from a middleorder collapse, extended their partnership to 81, Lakmal in particular showing some intent in erasing the overnight deficit.
His first 11 runs of the day included a drive through cover for four, and a six over the fine leg off Trent Boult.
Three runs short of what would have been a career best score however Lakmal dragged a Boult delivery on to his stumps, perhaps feeling uncomfortable from a hit to the elbow earlier in that over.
Dickwella would go on to complete his 13th Test half century three overs later, adding two more boundaries to his account through more conventional shots than he is accustomed to playing, an innings that ultimately helped Sri Lanka get a foothold in a game that once like it was slipping away.
By the time he picked out Kane Williamson at cover, ending his innings at 61, Sri Lanka had gained a 13 run lead, which grew by another five runs before the last wicket fell.