New Zealand 29-0 at tea on day 3, 1st test vs. Sri Lanka

By foxsports
Published

DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) New Zealand led Sri Lanka by 166 runs with all 10 second innings wickets intact at tea Saturday on the third day of the first cricket test.

After dismissing Sri Lanka for 294 in reply to its first innings of 431 - for a lead of 137 - New Zealand went to tea at 29-0 at University Oval. Martin Guptill was 16 not out batting with Tom Latham on 13.

Earlier, wicketkeeper B.J. Watling took six catches as New Zealand wrapped up the Sri Lanka innings after the tourists had resumed at 198-4. The loss of Dinesh Chandimal to the second ball of the day at his overnight score of 83 dealt a body blow to Sri Lanka's hopes of preventing New Zealand taking a substantial first innings lead.

Sri Lanka added 96 runs Saturday for the loss of its last six wickets, prolonging its innings into the second session through a series of minor partnerships that delayed New Zealand's push for a first innings advantage.

Tim Southee, who removed Chandimal and his overnight partner Kithuruwan Vithanage within the first three overs of Saturday's resumption, finished with 3-71 and Neil Wagner took 3-87, enforcing New Zealand's policy of bowling short to the Sri Lanka middle and lower order.

With Watling's six catches and others by Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill in the slips, nine of the 10 Sri Lanka wickets feel to catches by the wicketkeeper or slip cordon.

The short-pitched barrage helped to restrict Sri Lanka's scoring and brought catches when batsmen misjudged the line or lashed out.

Southee struck Rangana Herath on the head with a bouncer shortly before lunch, dazing him and forcing him to call for treatment. But the pitch was mainly docile, making bowlers work hard for wickets, particularly in Saturday's cold and windy conditions.

Herath was one of several members of the Sri Lanka lower order who held out against the New Zealand bowlers. He batted for just under two hours to make 15, mostly in valuable partnerships of 43 with Milinda Siriwardana, who made 35.

Dushmanta Chameera made 14 and Suranga Lakmal an unbeaten 18 as the Sri Lanka tail did a little to reduce the deficit.

The Sri Lanka batsman found run scoring difficult, progressing at a rate of only 2.5 runs per over throughout their innings while New Zealand had scored at 4.5 per over in its first innings, after losing the toss and batting.