New Zealand on course for series sweep against Sri Lanka

New Zealand player Matt Henry celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Nishan Madushka.
Photo: Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

New Zealand are course for a clean sweep of their test series against Sri Lanka, with the tourists 113-2 following on, at stumps on day three of the second test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, still 303 runs in arrears.

Starting the day at 26-2 in their first innings, Sri Lanka lost two early wickets to slump to 34-4 before eventually being all out for 164, 416 runs behind the home side who made 580-4 declared in their first innings.

A fifth wicket stand of 80 between skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal steadied the ship, until Chandimal went for 37 with the score at 114.

The tourists then lost their last five wickets for 50 runs with Karunaratne making 89.

Pace bowler Matt Henry and spinner Michael Bracewell were the most successful of the New Zealand bowlers, taking three wickets each.

Henry finished with figures of 3-44 and Bracewell 3-50.

Following on the tourists got through to 26 before losing their first wicket.

Black Caps pace bowler Doug Bracewell.
Photo: Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne got through to 51 before holing out at deep square on the boundary to leave Sri Lanka 97-2.

Bowling for the Black Caps skipper Tim Southee and fellow pace bowler Doug Bracewell have a wicket apiece.

At stumps Kusal Mendis was on 50 and Angelo Mathews 1.

On a wearing wicket, with uneven pace and bounce and offering turn, New Zealand will fancy there chances of wrapping up the Sri Lankan second innings on day four to give them a 2-nil series win.

-RNZ