New Zealand’s captain Tim Southee leads his workforce from the sphere after successful their Test series throughout day 4 of the second cricket Test match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on the Basin Reserve in Wellington on March 20, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Lanky quick bowler Blair Tickner and spinner Michael Bracewell slogged all day in a Basin Reserve gale to bowl New Zealand to an innings and 58 run win over Sri Lanka within the second test Monday and a sweep of the two-match series.
The win was accomplished with solely minutes remaining on the fourth day and capped New Zealand’s extraordinary summer time of dwelling test matches, which features a one-run win over England on the Basin Reserve and a two-wicket win over Sri Lanka from the final ball of the primary test.
Once once more New Zealand couldn’t win with out drama because it pursued Sri Lanka’s final two wickets in fading gentle and a blustering wind on Monday. Had it not bowled out Sri Lanka, it might have had to have returned to strive to achieve this on the ultimate day, when rain was forecast in Wellington.
Sri Lanka’s final two pairs defied the New Zealand bowlers for nearly two hours earlier than the house workforce secured the wickets it wanted for victory. New Zealand had to bowl 142 overs to dismiss Sri Lanka within the second innings, after bowling 67 within the first innings earlier than imposing the comply with on.
Dhanahaya de Silva made 98 and Dinesh Chandimal 62 to assist Sri Lanka bat all through all however a couple of minutes of the ultimate day. Kusal Rajitha then batted for 2-1/2 hours, Prabath Jayasuriya and Lahiru Kumara for an hour every because the Sri Lanka tail gallantly tried to pressure the match into the fifth day when climate may intervene. Southee took 3-21.
New Zealand claimed an additional half hour as the sunshine pale and Rajitha’s lengthy vigil ended when he fell to Tim Southee for 20 as Sri Lanka was all out for 358.
“Losing the toss and being asked to bat and being able to put a score on the board was very pleasing to see, and set up the performance the bowlers produced over the last two days,” New Zealand captain Tim Southee stated.
“There are few weary bodies tonight so it’s good to have that extra day off. We thought if we could put that one last push in tonight it was one less warm-up to do tomorrow.”
Double centuries by Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls allowed New Zealand to submit 580-4 in its solely innings earlier than it bowled out Sri Lanka for 164 and enforced the comply with with the vacationers 416 behind.
New Zealand got here into the fourth day in a commanding place: Sri Lanka was 113-2 when play begain, nonetheless 303 runs behind, and New Zealand discovered itself in a race to full the win in opposition to the potential of a rained-out ultimate day.
Dhananjay’as partnerships with Chandimal and Nishan Madushka occupied a lot of the first two classes and annoyed New Zealand. On each events Tickner was the partnership breaker.
After batting via the primary session, Chandimal threw his wicket away with the scoreboard clock displaying a couple of minutes to lunch. Tickner bowled a reasonably brief ball to Chandimal which rose to about chest top and the batter confirmed a uncommon rush of blood, hitting out and pulling the ball to Doug Bracewell on the sq. leg boundary.
Dhananjaya discovered a brand new accomplice in Nishan Madushka, the wicketkeeper-batsman on test debut.
They stayed collectively for a lot of the center session earlier than Madushka was out simply earlier than tea. He had batted with nice software and restraint for 39, and with Dhananjaya had diminished the deficit to 98. But with the tea break solely two balls away he lashed out at Tickner and was caught by Southee at midwicket, ending a partnership value 76.
In the primary over after tea, Dhanjaya’s gallant innings ended at 98. He had held the Sri Lanka innings collectively all through the fourth day and lit the flame of hope that New Zealand may need to bat once more.
But he moved to off and tried to sweep Michael Bracewell behind sq. and hit the ball from the toe of the bat to Henry Nicholls at brief leg. He had batted for 4 and a half hours and was one among 4 batters to make a half century within the innings, a primary for Sri Lanka in opposition to New Zealand.
Tickner then took a difficult catch at brief effective leg to dismiss Jayasuriya (2) off Michael Bracewell. The ball looped up and was buffeted by the wind earlier than Tickner secured a two-handed catch. Jayasuriya confronted 32 balls earlier than getting off the mark.
Tickner bowled 26 overs to take 3-84 and Michael Bracewell bowled 42 overs and took 2-100 in marathon efforts.
