Sri Lanka on the verge of historic series sweep against New Zealand

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka is just five wickets away from sealing a monumental series sweep against New Zealand after reducing the visitors to 119 for five in their second innings on Saturday.

New Zealand, with a daunting 315 runs still needed to avoid an innings defeat, face an uphill battle. The match, poised to end inside three days, was only prolonged due to bad light, forcing umpires to call off play with 20 overs remaining.

Day three was nothing short of manic, with the Kiwis losing 13 wickets, including a morning collapse of nine wickets.

New Zealand’s first innings imploded for a mere 88 runs — its lowest-ever total against Sri Lanka — thanks to a six-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

“It has been a fabulous Test match for us,” Jayasuriya said. "All credit to the batters. When they put on 600-plus runs on the board it is really tough when the opposition know the game has slipped away from them.

“We need five more wickets and I am sure we will wrap things up quickly,” he added. "In the second innings, they changed their approach and attacked us. I like when the opposition play aggressively. You will end up conceding runs but then there is a big possibility of you picking up wickets as well.

Having claimed nine wickets in the first test, Jayasuriya again proved unplayable on a deteriorating surface tailor-made for spinners. The Sri Lankan fielders were equally sharp, with captain Dhananjaya de Silva taking five excellent catches in the first innings.

New Zealand’s attempt to stonewall Sri Lanka’s disciplined spin attack in the first innings backfired. But in the second innings, they opted for a more aggressive approach, which initially paid off.

Kane Williamson and Devon Conway showcased resilience with a 97-run partnership for the second wicket.

Conway’s 61 off 62 balls, comprising 10 boundaries and a six, ended with a stunning catch by Dinesh Chandimal, who sprinted back from extra cover to take the difficult chance. Williamson followed soon after, dismissed for 46, courtesy of another superb catch by Ramesh Mendis at long-on.

An unbroken 78-run stand for the sixth wicket between Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips brought some stability to New Zealand’s second innings. Blundell, on 47 from 50 balls, and Phillips, unbeaten on 32 from 41, both found the boundary with two sixes each to avoid a repeat of the first innings disaster.

Sri Lanka, completely dominating the match, piled on a colossal 602 runs in their first innings, with three centurions leading the charge. Kamindu Mendis’ unbeaten 182 was the standout performance, taking him to 1,000 test runs in record time — becoming the joint-third fastest alongside the legendary Don Bradman to achieve the milestone.

“Very disappointed with the way we batted in the morning today,” Blundell said. "You cannot compete after losing nine wickets in a session. It was a bitter pill to swallow. I thought we were a bit tentative in the morning. But in the second innings, we tried to be positive.

“We have a nice partnership going at the moment and tomorrow morning we need to come back and continue in the same way and put them under pressure,” he added. “Try and see if we can stretch this partnership for a long period of time. The key is to play one ball at a time. Then hopefully the remaining batters to come will put some partnerships too.”

If Sri Lanka completes the win on Sunday, it would mark its biggest test victory, potentially surpassing their innings and 280-run thrashing of Ireland last year. The hosts, who won the first test by 63 runs, are now on the cusp of their first series victory over New Zealand in 15 years.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket