Sri Lanka in charge of Test

Captain Kumar Sangakkara hit his second half-century of the match as Sri Lanka took control of the second and final Test in Colombo.

Sangakkara drives home advantage in Colombo

Second Test Match
Colombo
Sri Lanka 416 (T Samaraweera 143, M Jayawardene 92, K Sangakkara 50, J Patel 4-78) & 157-2 (K Sangakkara 64 no) v New Zealand 234 (R Taylor 81) Captain Kumar Sangakkara hit his second half-century of the match as Sri Lanka took control of the second and final Test in Colombo. Sangakkara reached the close on day three on 64 not out with his side on 157 for two, a lead of 339 runs after New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 75 runs before lunch. Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (3-71) and the recalled Rangana Herath (3-70) took all the wickets to fall as the Black Caps crumbled to 234 all out, a first innings deficit of 182. Ross Taylor top-scored for the Kiwis but he added just 11 to his overnight score of 70 before Herath had him caught behind. Partner Brendon McCullum (18) had departed in the previous over when he edged Murali to Mahela Jayawardene at slip, giving the former captain his 150th Test catch.

Follow on averted

Jacob Oram and skipper Daniel Vettori rescued the visitors with an eighth wicket stand of 43 that averted the follow on, but part-time spinner Tillakeratne Dilshan had the latter caught at short leg having made 23. Oram went in similar fashion to Herath shortly afterwards, while Iain O'Brien fell lbw to Murali for four to end the innings just before lunch. Dilshan and opening partner Tharanga Paranavitana laid a solid foundation with a 56-run stand as Sri Lanka set about extending the lead, but the former holed out in the deep off spinner Jeetan Patel having made 33. His partner went on to make 34 before falling just before tea, unfortunately gloving a ball from Vettori down the leg-side where McCullum took a fine catch. However, that was as good as it got for the Kiwis as Sangakkara and Jayawardene went about putting the game out of their reach. Vettori persisted with a predominantly leg-side field in an attempt to stifle the runs, but Sangakkara still struck seven boundaries and a six as he passed fifty once again. He added 68 in an unbroken stand with his fellow batsman, reaching 64 with Jayawardene on 23 when play was called off for the day due to rain with 12 overs still to be bowled.