COLOMBO: New Zealand were within sight of their first Test victory in Sri Lanka in 14 years after 17 wickets fell on a thrilling penultimate day of the series yesterday.
The Black Caps set Mahela Jayawardene’s side 363 for victory after first bowling them out for 244 and making 194 for nine declared in their second innings.
By stumps Sri Lanka had slumped to 47 for four as New Zealand dismissed Tharanga Paranavitana (0), Tillakaratne Dilshan (14), Kumar Sangakkara (16) and Jayawardene (5).
New Zealand went into the match on the back of five successive losses, their worst run in 57 years.
Their last win in Sri Lanka was in 1998 and they were thrashed in the first Test of the series in Galle, losing by 10 wickets inside three days.
But thanks to fast bowlers Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, along with captain Ross Taylor, they set up the chance of a rare win.
The day began with superb spells by Southee (five for 62) and Boult (four for 42) as New Zealand took the home side’s final four wickets for 19 runs after they had resumed at 225 for six.
The stubborn Thilan Samaraweera top-scored with 76 but he failed to add to his overnight total before being caught at second slip by Martin Guptill off Boult to give the left-armer his 100th first-class wicket.
Boult also removed overnight batsman Suraj Randiv (39), lbw to an excellent inswinger, and claimed the final wicket when he had Rangana Herath (5) brilliantly caught in the gully by Kane Williamson.
Southee weighed in with the wicket of Nuwan Kulasekara (6), caught at first slip by Ross Taylor, to record his first five-wicket haul of the series.
That gave New Zealand a first-innings lead of 168.
Taylor, followed up his first innings 142 with a patient 74 from 95 balls, including only two fours, the first of which he struck to bring up his half-century.
REUTERS
