Rain has ended play early on the first day of the second Test between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka in Hamilton, with the visitors 264/7.
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Angelo Mathews was not out on 63 by stumps, and Southee said his wicket was crucial to New Zealand’s chances of restricting Sri Lanka on day two.
Williamson said New Zealand will keep their winning combination for the second Test after being presented with another green-top wicket in Hamilton.
Day 1 has been interesting so far as both the teams share the equal possibility to dominate over the other at stumps as New Zealand snatched some wickets in quick succession after lunch leaving Sri Lanka in a hard situation.
Siriwardana hit 62 off 81 deliveries inclusive of five fours and three sixes.
The first came when Dinesh Chandimal pushed tentatively through the offside to a searching Tim Southee delivery.
New Zealand won the first Test in Dunedin by 122 runs despite losing the toss and being forced to bat first. Trent Boult made the breakthrough when he produced an edge from Siriwardana, which Ross Taylor juggled before securing at first slip.
We’ve got to go out there and keep positive right from the word go, not look to be too cautious, just go out there and play good cricket. Southee has had the upper hand in recent battles with Mathews and was brought on to test him again but the Sri Lanka captain was equal to the challenge. “It does tend to dry out pretty quickly but we will unleash our four seamers from the start”, McCullum said in a televised interview.
The pair, however, had a major breakdown in communication just seven runs later when Jayasundera was run out for 26 after some good fielding by Mitchell Santner in the outfield.
Boult removed Sirirwardana, then Kithuruwan Vithanage (0) in the space of three balls before Kane Williamson’s direct hit from gully ran out Rangana Herath (4).
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Chandimal, who scored half-centuries in both innings in the first test in Dunedin, had raced along at a run a ball but on 47 chased an outswinger from Doug Bracewell that caught the edge and gave wicketkeeper BJ Watling his third catch of the innings. “The wicket was pretty green and there was a bit of movement out there but not as much swing as what I thought there might be”.
