Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya throws a ball as New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips watches during the day three of the second test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle , Sri Lanka, Saturday,
| Photo Credit: AP

Sri Lanka was just five wickets away from a crushing second Test and series victory over New Zealand on Saturday with the tourists 199-5 at stumps on the third day, having followed on after collapsing to 88 all out in their first innings.

Tom Blundell was not out 47 and Glenn Phillips on 32 when bad light forced an early end to play in Galle after debutant off-spinner Nishan Peiris took three top-order wickets.

Devon Conway, battling to save both his team and his place in the side, joined forces with former captain Kane Williamson in a dogged 97-run partnership for the second wicket.

De Silva lured Conway, who had made 61 off 62 balls, into a drive towards the vacant deep cover boundary that was caught by Dinesh Chandimal in a spectacular backward running catch.

Williamson, the world’s second-ranked batsman behind England’s Joe Root, departed when he misjudged a shot off Peiris, with Ramesh Mendis grabbing a tumbling catch at long-on.

Tom Latham had been the first wicket to fall after the follow-on was enforced just before lunch, caught by Pathum Nissanka for a duck at short leg off Peiris, who earlier had taken three first-innings wickets.

Sri Lanka declared Friday on a mammoth 602-5 for in their first innings then spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took 6-42 for his ninth five-wicket haul as the visitors failed to get to three figures.

Jayasuriya will need to dismiss all five remaining New Zealand batsman to equal the record for fastest bowler to 100 Test wickets, held since 1896 by England’s George Lohmann who reached the milestone in his 16th Test.

Resuming at a precarious 22-2 in their first innings, New Zealand’s batsmen barely put up a fight and their highest partnership was the 20 added by last pair Mitchell Santner, who top scored with 29, and William O’Rourke (two).

Captain de Silva took five catches at first slip to tie the record for most in a Test innings by a non-wicketkeeper, a milestone shared with 15 others.

Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya
| Photo Credit: AFP

Prabath Jayasuriya took five wickets to steer Sri Lanka to a 63-run victory Monday against New Zealand on the final morning of the first Test in Galle.

Set a target of 275 to win, the Black Caps were bowled out for 211 less than 15 minutes after play resumed, with Rachin Ravindra top-scoring on 92.

“When you come to Galle, all that you need to do is to stick to the basics,” said man-of-the-match Jayasuriya.

“The wicket provides plenty of assistance and you just need to bowl with discipline. Your consistency is the key and there was lot of help from the rest of the spinners as well.”

Ravindra had finished on Sunday waging a lone battle on a sharply turning pitch in Galle, where the tourists had lost all four of their previous Test encounters.

His knock was the highest score by a New Zealander at the ground, eclipsing Ross Taylor’s 89 in 2019.

But the slender path to victory he had opened was snapped shut when Jayasuriya trapped him lbw while trying to defend on the back foot.

The decision was upheld despite Ravindra’s review, and he departed having added just one run to his overnight total.

Jayasuriya, who took nine wickets across the match and finished the second innings five for 68, brought the match to an end when he bowled rookie pacer William O’Rourke for a duck.

“Disappointed we didn’t get enough lead in the first innings,” New Zealand skipper Tim Southee said.

“We had the game in the hand, but we threw it away.”

‘Sensational’ O’Rourke lauded

O’Rourke, 23, had impressed for New Zealand with eight wickets, including his second five-wicket haul from just three Test appearances in the first innings.

“William O’Rourke has been brilliant for us,” Southee said.

“For him to come here and do what he did was absolutely amazing. He’s never played in conditions like these… when there is not much for pace bowling. His effort was sensational.”

New Zealand had cause for cheer after fighting on for a fifth day during their first Test in six months on a pitch where they have always struggled.

Their scheduled warm-up against Afghanistan earlier in September was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel claimed 6-90 in Sri Lanka’s second innings, the best figures by a New Zealand bowler in Sri Lanka since Daniel Vettori’s 6-64 in Colombo in 1998.

Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, and Daryl Mitchell all contributed with half-centuries in the first innings.

The second and final match of the series will be held at the same venue from Thursday.

Sri Lanka’s players celebrate with teammates after their team’s win at the end of the first Test cricket match against New Zealand at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on September 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Prabath Jayasuriya took five wickets to steer Sri Lanka to a 63-run victory on Monday (September 23, 2024) against New Zealand on the final morning of the first Test in Galle.

Set a target of 275 to win, the Black Caps were bowled out for 211 less than 15 minutes after play resumed, with Rachin Ravindra top-scoring on 92.

“When you come to Galle, all that you need to do is to stick to the basics,” said man-of-the-match Jayasuriya.

“The wicket provides plenty of assistance and you just need to bowl with discipline. Your consistency is the key and there was lot of help from the rest of the spinners as well.”

Ravindra had finished on Sunday (September 22, 2024) waging a lone battle on a sharply turning pitch in Galle, where the tourists had lost all four of their previous Test encounters.

His knock was the highest score by a New Zealander at the ground, eclipsing Ross Taylor’s 89 in 2019.

But the slender path to victory he had opened was snapped shut when Jayasuriya trapped him lbw while trying to defend on the back foot.

The decision was upheld despite Ravindra’s review, and he departed having added just one run to his overnight total.

Jayasuriya, who took nine wickets across the match and finished the second innings five for 68, brought the match to an end when he bowled rookie pacer William O’Rourke for a duck.

“Disappointed we didn’t get enough lead in the first innings,” New Zealand skipper Tim Southee said.

“We had the game in the hand, but we threw it away.”

‘Sensational’ O’Rourke lauded

O’Rourke, 23, had impressed for New Zealand with eight wickets, including his second five-wicket haul from just three Test appearances in the first innings.

“William O’Rourke has been brilliant for us,” Southee said.

“For him to come here and do what he did was absolutely amazing. He’s never played in conditions like these… when there is not much for pace bowling. His effort was sensational.”

New Zealand had cause for cheer after fighting on for a fifth day during their first Test in six months on a pitch where they have always struggled.

Their scheduled warm-up against Afghanistan earlier in September was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel claimed 6-90 in Sri Lanka’s second innings, the best figures by a New Zealand bowler in Sri Lanka since Daniel Vettori’s 6-64 in Colombo in 1998.

Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, and Daryl Mitchell all contributed with half-centuries in the first innings.

The second and final match of the series will be held at the same venue from Thursday.