Christchurch: Tom Latham (176, 370b, 17×4, 1×6) produced another masterful innings of patience and concentration as New Zealand turned the screw on Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test here Friday.
Captain Kane Williamson declared the second innings about an hour after the interval on 585/4, leaving the visitors needing to score a world record 660 to win the match and two-Test series 1-0 after the first Test ended in a damp draw.
Sri Lanka’s victory target was made all the more difficult when opening batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne (nought) and Danushka Gunathilaka (four) were dismissed in the first two overs. Captain Dinesh Chandimal (14 batting) and Kusal Mendis (6 batting) saw them through to 24/2 at stumps and needing to score another 636 runs to win the match and series or bat two further days to save both.
The hosts’ strong position was testament to Latham, who dominated their second innings, despite a fourth Test century from Henry Nicholls (162 no, 225b, 16×4) and New Zealand’s fastest Test half-century from Colin de Grandhomme (71, 45b, 6×4, 2×6) as they chased quick runs after tea. In his three innings in the current series, he has scored 450 runs at an average of 225.
Brief scores: New Zealand 178 and 585/4 decl (Tom Latham 176, Henry Nicholls 162 no; Lahiru Kumara 2/134) vs Sri Lanka 104 and 24/2 (Trent Boult 1/11). Match to continue.