Sri Lanka 602 for five dec (Kamindu 182, Chandimal 116, Kusal 106*, Mathews 88, Phillips 3-141) beat New Zealand 88 (Jayasuriya 6-42, Peiris 3-33) and 360 (Phillips 78, Santner 67, Conway 61, Blundell 60, Peiris 6-170, Jayasuriya 3-139) by an innings and 154 runs
In the long run, having performed out 40.4 overs on day 4, they misplaced their last wicket – Santner – nonetheless 154 runs behind Sri Lanka. The hosts had solely batted as soon as.
For Sri Lanka, it was their third Take a look at win in a row. With 4 matches to go of their World Take a look at Championship cycle, they’re now within the hunt for a kind of last two spots, although they have to hope for different outcomes to go their method too, to have a greater probability.
Peiris dismissed every of the three half-centurions on day 4. Blundell was out on the third over of the morning, when he missed a reverse sweep (he was making an attempt his second one in a row, having nailed the primary for 4), and been struck in entrance of the stumps. Later, Phillips tried to launch Peiris over the straight boundary, however discovered Dimuth Karunaratne at lengthy on. After lunch, Peiris had Santner stumped when the batter had allowed his again foot to slip out of the crease – the final New Zealand wicket to fall.
Phillips and Santner have been New Zealand’s finest day 4 batters, nonetheless. Phillips’ important technique was to get on the again foot as usually as potential, and play off the floor. This regularly labored – permitting him to pounce on even barely quick deliveries, whereas forcing bowlers to go fuller to him, presenting scoring alternatives down the bottom. He accomplished his fifty off 66 balls, and would go on to be concerned in a 64-run seventh-wicket stand with Santner, to observe the 95-run stand he’d shared with Blundell.
Santner, in the meantime, was not fairly as proactive as Phillips, however discovered the offside productive. Sometimes, he would dance down the observe and look to hit Peiris particularly down the bottom. He collected two sixes and a 4 this manner, and accomplished his half century quickly after lunch, off the 97th ball he confronted. He was out off the third supply Sri Lanka bowled with their second new ball.
