New Zealand are staring at a series defeat against Sri Lanka as they find themselves reeling at 199/5 in the second innings at stumps on Day 3 of the second Test at Galle International Stadium, Galle. Tom Blundell (47*) and Glenn Phillips (32*) were at the crease for the visitors as bad light and rain brought an early end to the day’s play on Saturday, 28th September.
The Kiwis are trailing by a massive 315 runs after Prabath Jayasuriya (6/42) and Nishan Peiris (3/91) brought the Kiwis down to their knees in the two innings respectively. The day began with New Zealand already in a spot of bother at 22/2 with Kane Williamson (6*) and Ajaz Patel (0*) at the crease.
The day began in the worst possible manner for New Zealand as Jayasuriya got the prized scalp of Williamson getting him caught at slip to pick his second wicket of the innings. Debutant Nishan Peiris also chipped in as he shattered Rachin Ravindra’s stumps to pick his maiden international scalp. The off spinner also dismissed the night watchman Patel to leave New Zealand reeling at 52/5.
Prabath Jayasuriya spins a web around NZ batters
Jayasuriya also continued to run through New Zealand batting and dismissed Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell and Tim Southee to pick his ninth five wicket haul in Tests and register figures of 6/42. Peiris (3/33) dismantled Mitchell Santner’s stumps to bundle out New Zealand for just 88 in the first innings.
Having a massive 514-run lead, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva enforced the follow on and Peiris continued from where he left off in the first innings by dismissing Tom Latham in the first over itself. New Zealand went into lunch in another precarious position at 3/1.
In the second session, Williamson and Conway calmed the nerves in the dressing room with their 96-run stand for the second wicket off 108 balls as the duo tried to put the pressure back on Sri Lanka with their quick scoring rate. With both batters looking set at the crease captain Dhananjaya de Silva brought himself into the attack and move worked as he made Conway (61 off 62) hit one in the air towards cover where Dinesh Chandimal took a good catch.
Nishan Peiris continues to impress in second innings
As a result, Sri Lanka got another opening into the fragile New Zealand batting and the first innings tormenters Peiris and Jayasuriya returned for more carnage. Peiris dismissed the well set Williamson who tried to go big but found Ramesh Mendis at long on. Jayasuriya got rid of Daryl Mitchell for the second time in the day as he flicked one straight into Pathum Nissanka’s hands at short leg.
SL vs NZ 2nd Test Day 3 Highlights
At the other end, Peiris also outfoxed Ravindra for the second time in the day by dismantling his stumps on second successive occasion to once again leave New Zealand tottering at 121/5. After another mayhem by the Sri Lankan spinners, Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips joined together at the crease and took their team into tea on 129/5.
The duo continued their stand in the third session leaving no opportunity to punish bad balls and added 78 runs for the sixth wicket off just 84 balls before bad light stopped play. The duo will have a herculean task of eating away the massive deficit of 315 runs on Day 4 as Sri Lanka are firm favourites to seal the series by 2-0 having already won the first Test by 63 runs.
Source Agencies
