Rain ate into the second day’s play of the second Test match which ended by the lunch break with Sri Lanka on 144 for 6 wickets having resumed from an overnight 85 for 2 at the P. Saravanamuththu International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Sri Lanka precipitated from 93 for 2 to 93 for 4 with star batsmen Angelo Mathews (2) and Kusal Janith Perera (0) dismissed by Trent Boult in the space of five balls. Mathews became Boult’s 250th Test victim to a mistimed leg side catch while Perera fell plumb leg before wicket four balls latershouldering and missing a good length delivery. The day saw Boult become the third Kiwi bowler to claim 250 Test wickets.
Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who had been shaping well having taken his overnight score of 49 to 65, was undone by a mistimed drive that landed in the safe hands of wicket-keeper Watling to make it 130 for 5 by the third ball of the 57th over. His knock spanned 165 deliveries and contained 6 boundaries. Niroshan Dickwella followed three balls later for a duck nicking Southee to give Watling his third catch as it became 130 for 6.
Meanwhile, Dhananjaya de Silva remained unbeaten on a plucky 62-ball 32 inclusive of 4 boundaries having survived a chance. He had repaired the innings adding 37 runs for the fifth wicket with Karunaratne. With him was Dilruwan Perera on 5.
CHIEF SCORES:
Sri Lanka 144/6 (66 Overs) Run Rate: 2.18)(F.D.M. Karunaratne 65, D.M. de Silva n.o. 32, T.A. Boult 2/33, T.G. Southee 2/40)
By Srian Obeyesekere
-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-
