Sri Lanka rip through top order to leave New Zealand in trouble

Sri Lanka need to sweep the series to keep their World Test Championship hopes alive

(AFP) Sri Lanka's bowlers ripped through the New Zealand top order, including snaring the key wicket of Kane Williamson, to leave the hosts in trouble at 162-5 after the second day of the first Test on Friday. 

After posting a competitive 355 on the green Hagley Oval wicket in Christchurch, Sri Lanka gave the New Zealand run chase a soft start before gaining momentum.

A productive burst either side of the tea break from Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara claimed Devon Conway, Williamson and Henry Nicholls as New Zealand slumped from 67 without loss to 76-3.

A pin-point Fernando yorker then dismissed opener Tom Latham for 67 before Kasun Rajitha accounted for Tom Blundell for seven. Daryl Mitchell was on 40 at stumps with Michael Bracewell on nine, but New Zealand were still 193 in arrears.

Sri Lanka need to sweep the series to keep their World Test Championship hopes alive. Their ambition was evident as they celebrated each wicket and every saved single.

Fernando, guilty of straying too often down the legside in his opening spell, came back to trap Conway lbw for 30.

Three overs later Kumara captured the plum wicket of Williamson for one on the last ball before tea and then accounted for Nicholls for two soon after the resumption. The Sri Lankans were jubilant with the wicket of Williamson, New Zealand's most prolific run-scorer and the hero of the recent dramatic one-run victory over England. With the tea break beckoning he was seduced into attempting an uncharacteristic big cover drive but could not get the ball over Dimuth Karunaratne.

Nicholls, with a question mark over his Test future, had only faced six balls when a rash attempt to pull Kumara to the boundary saw him caught at mid-wicket. Latham persevered to bring up his 27th half-century and looked well set until he was bowled by Fernando. Sri Lanka had frustrated New Zealand from the start of the day when they resumed at 305-6 and added another 50 as they stretched the innings for a further 17 overs.