SL vs NZ | Mendis and Jayasuriya’s spin masterclass cripple Kiwi middle order to dent their run chase

Debayan Sinha

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

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Sri Lanka posted 309, setting New Zealand a target of 275, with Ajaz Patel’s five-wicket haul leading the attack. Despite solid starts from Latham, Williamson, and Ravindra, their middle order faltered as Prabhath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis' three-fer rattled them to 207/8 on Day 4.

‌After a day of rest on Saturday, Sri Lanka resumed their innings with overnight batters Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva at the crease, pushing the score to 248/4 after 75 overs. However, Ajaz Patel soon broke their stand, dismissing the Sri Lankan captain in the following over. Mathews then partnered with Kusal Mendis to try and steady the ship, but Patel struck again, swiftly removing both Mathews and Mendis. The Sri Lankan lower order collapsed under the pressure of Patel's spin, with Ramesh Mendis and Lahiru Kumara also falling victim to his skill. Mitchell Santner joined the fray and claimed the wicket of Prabath Jayasuriya, as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 309, securing a lead of 274 runs.

New Zealand's chase of 275 began shakily, with Asitha Fernando dismissing Devon Conway in just the second over. Despite the early loss, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson managed to stabilize the innings, taking the visitors to 13/1 after five overs at lunch, leaving 262 runs required for victory.

After lunch, Latham and Williamson upped the tempo, driving the score to 51/1 in 16 overs. The breakthrough finally came when Jayasuriya dismissed Williamson in the 17th over. Latham, unable to carry on, fell in the 23rd over, leaving New Zealand at 68/3. As Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell built a partnership, Ramesh Mendis dismissed Mitchell in the 33rd over, and by tea, New Zealand was at 114/4, needing 161 more runs to win.

In the final session, Ravindra and Tom Blundell counter-attacked against the pace of Lahiru Kumara, propelling New Zealand to 131/4, with 144 runs still required. The pair took the score to 152/4 in 46 overs, keeping New Zealand in contention. However, the tide turned when Jayasuriya removed Blundell, breaking the crucial partnership. The collapse continued as Jayasuriya dismissed Glenn Phillips, while Ramesh Mendis took care of Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee cheaply, leaving Sri Lanka just two wickets away from victory. As the sun set, Day 4 ended with New Zealand at 207/8, still needing 68 runs to win.

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