Black Caps made to work for series victory

The Black Caps won the series against Sri Lanka 2-0.
Photo: Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

The Black Caps have wrapped a third consecutive Test win with a dominant victory over Sri Lanka in tough conditions in Wellington.

New Zealand won by an innings and 58 runs with a day to spare in their final home Test of the summer to claim the series against Sri Lanka 2-0.

The Black Caps posted 580-4 declared in their first innings to give Sri Lanka a mammoth task to chase down the total in windy conditions.

Sri Lanka were on the back foot heading into day four, following on they needed to add 303 runs to their overnight total with eight wickets in hand to force the home side to bat again at the Basin Reserve.

While New Zealand eventually prevailed it took 142 overs to dismiss Sri Lanka for a second time as the visitors made the Black Caps bowlers work hard for their wickets.

New Zealand snared three wickets in the first session on Monday to have Sri Lanka 249-5 at lunch.

Sri Lanka started the day at 113-2 and quickly lost Kusal Mendis (50) without adding to the overnight total while Angelo Mathews (2) followed shortly afterwards.

Pace bowlers Matt Henry and Blair Tickner picked up those two wickets.

But Dinesh Chandimal and Dhanajaya de Silva then built a stubborn fifth partnership of 126, only for Chandimal to be dismissed for 62 a few minutes before lunch when he top edged a short delivery from Tickner to be caught by a diving Doug Bracewell at fine leg.

Black Caps bowler Blair Tickner celebrates the dismissal of Angelo Mathews.
Photo: Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

Tickner stuck again just before tea to get wicketkeeper K Fernando out for 39 on debut which began to expose the Sri Lankan lower order.

Dhanajaya was spinner Michael Bracewell’s first wicket of the day – and 50th first class wicket – when he had him dismissed for 98 caught by Henry Nicholls.

Dhanajaya had a milestone of his own, going past 3000 Test runs in this innings.

Bracewell grabbed his second wicket of the innings when he removed Prabath Jayasuriya for 2 when Tickner got under a high shot which was swirling in the wind to reduce the visitors to eight down.

Black Caps captain Tim Southee persisted with his own bowling and eventually had Lahiru Kumara out caught by Bracewell for 7 off 45 balls to bring in Sri Lanka’s last batter and he then finished the job when he had Kasun Rajitha out for 20 and Sri Lanka all out for 358.

Southee finished the innings with figures of 3-51, Tickner took 3-84 and Bracewell 2-100.

The two sides now play an ODI series starting in Auckland on Saturday.

-RNZ