Watch cricket video highlights of New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2024. Second Test between SL and NZ. Venue of the match will be Galle.
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On a day when the local spinners in Galle dominated play, it was a story of two bowlers, and happily for New Zealand, at least two partnerships. As Sri Lanka bowled New Zealand out for 88 in the first innings, their lowest all-out total against Sri Lanka, Prabath Jayasuriya took 6 for 42, while Nishan Peiris, an off-spinner making his debut, grabbed 3 for 33. With a commanding 514-run advantage, Dhananjaya de Silva forced New Zealand to reply.
In their second innings, they lost a wicket in the opening over, but following lunch, Devon Conway and an adventurous Kane Williamson struck an entertaining 97 off 108 balls. After that, in a span during which Sri Lanka amassed 4 for 24, Jayasuriya, Peiris, and Dhananjaya produced a collapse that was New Zealand’s second of the day. However, Glenn Phillips and Tom Blundell decided to counterattack on the other side of that slip before poor visibility and rain caused the third day of play to conclude early.
Blundell (47*) and Phillips (32*) combined for an unbeaten 78 off just 84 balls, hitting two sixes apiece, to establish their sixth wicket partnership. They had teamed up right before teatime; three overs into the last session, Peiris took the attack after turning away and cleanly dismissing Rachin Ravindra. In the 33rd over, Blundell twice launched Peiris for massive sixes, both times by stepping out and hitting the ground. While this was going on, Phillips steadily scored singles and twos at the other end, seeming confident at the crease against both off-spin and left-arm spin.
In the 37th over, he hit Peiris for a six over long on, and in the 38th over, Blundell chose to continue counterpunching, hitting consecutive fours over Jayasuriya’s head. This resulted in the fifty stand in sixty-two balls. In what ended up being the last over of the day, Phillips hit another six over the fence after Blundell reverse swept Peiris for four. Ultimately, though, Sri Lanka was still 315 runs ahead of New Zealand. During the afternoon session, Conway had responded to Sri Lanka with a barrage of offensive strokes.
He scored his first Test half-century in eleven innings since March 2023, hammering 61 at well under a run per ball. During his innings, he hammered 10 boundaries and a six. He also used both the conventional and the reverse sweeps against the spinners, and he was rewarded for his efforts. He scored 33 runs, including six boundaries, off of those 19 strokes. However, when Conway attempted to loft Dhananjaya over extra cover, the ball slipped over his shoulders and was caught by Dinesh Chandimal, who was positioned there.
This finished Conway’s innings. By then, Williamson had become accustomed to moving at a steady pace as he kept himself occupied by batting the rare boundary and sprinting between the wickets. In the 23rd over, Peiris got rid of Williamson at 46 with another stunning catch. In this Test, Ramesh Mendis, the replacement fielder for Peiris, was sent in at long-on and had to maintain his eyes on the ball for a considerable amount of time. However, he moved quietly to his right to collect it with a reverse cup.
Daryl Mitchell, who chipped one off Jayasuriya to a vigilant Pathum Nissanka at short leg, and Ravindra were also lost by New Zealand shortly after. However, the combination of Blundell and Phillips’s alliance and the favorable weather forced the match into the fourth day, which was not expected given how quickly Jayasuriya and Peiris went through New Zealand’s lineup in the morning. New Zealand, who began the day at 22 for 2 in their opening innings, was rattled by the combined efforts of the two spinners.
On a brilliant, sunny morning, the hosts celebrated with five catches from Dhananjaya, all of them off the spinners. Even on the second evening, when the ball was spinning and helping the spinners, there was some roughness apparent beyond the batters’ stumps; moreover, the hitters’ efforts on the third morning were ineffective. While attempting to play the lap sweep, Ravindra was bowled by Williamson and Ajaz Patel, who were out defending. Blundell delivered a powerful blow off his back foot, but Dhananjaya made a quick catch at slip.
Tim Southee pushed at the ball, Mitchell slogged, and Phillips flailed, but none of them succeeded in taking the wicket. After being 41 for 3 at one point, New Zealand lost 7 for 47, yet they were close to three digits thanks to Mitchell Santner’s 29-point effort. Williamson even batted for two innings in the morning session in the end. However, it was Williamson and Conway in the afternoon and Blundell and Phillips in the evening that made sure Sri Lanka’s second innings was more difficult.
