After William O’Rourke’s five-wicket haul helped restrict Sri Lanka to 305 in the morning session, the fifties from Tom Latham and Kane Williamson guided New Zealand to a strong position, reducing the deficit to double digits by the end of Day 2 in Galle. Despite losing Latham and Williamson, New Zealand continued to build their innings through contributions from Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, reports Live Cricket Score.
In a rain-affected morning session, Sri Lanka added just three runs to their overnight score of 302/7 as Ajaz Patel and O’Rourke quickly wrapped up the tail. However, the morning’s action was limited due to several rain interruptions, leading to an early lunch. New Zealand’s response began steadily, with an initial 63-run partnership between Latham and Devon Conway.
Latham started positively, hitting two boundaries off an over from Asitha Fernando, but the openers progressed cautiously as Sri Lanka’s captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, rotated his bowlers. Ramesh Mendis eventually broke through, trapping Conway’s leg before with the aid of a review.
Latham and Williamson then took charge, putting New Zealand in a strong position with a 73-run partnership. Williamson attacked Mendis after the drinks break, lofting him for a six over long-on and following it with a pull shot for four. The pair forced Sri Lanka to rethink their bowling strategies. Still, just before Tea, Latham’s attempted sweep off Prabath Jayasuriya resulted in a top edge that substitute fielder Sadeera Samarawickrama caught at backwards short leg.
After Tea, New Zealand continued their progress through another left-right combination of Williamson and Ravindra. After a shaky start, Ravindra quickly settled into a brisk cameo of 39 from 48 deliveries. Meanwhile, Williamson brought up his 35th Test fifty. However, Dhananjaya de Silva struck again, exploiting a rough patch outside Williamson’s leg stump. Williamson attempted a flick, but the ball took the edge, and Kusal Mendis completed a spectacular diving catch. Two overs later, Ravindra was dismissed by Dhananjaya, leaving New Zealand at a slight stumble.
Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell then steadied the ship. Mitchell attacked de Silva with a four and a six, maintaining a brisk scoring rate, while Blundell was more circumspect. The pair added an unbeaten 59-run partnership before stumps, ensuring New Zealand ended the day in a strong position.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 255/4 (Tom Latham 70, Kane Williamson 55; Dhananjaya de Silva 2-31) trail Sri Lanka 305 (Kamindu Mendis 114, Kusal Mendis 50; William O’Rourke 5-55, Glenn Phillips 2-52, Ajaz Patel 2-60) by 50 runs.
