Agence France-Presse
Dunedin, Dec 12: Kane Williamson (48 batting, 82b, 5×4) joined the elite 1,000 runs-a-year club here Saturday as New Zealand built a commanding 308-run lead over Sri Lanka with two days remaining in the first Test here.
Only the threat of rain and a flattening pitch loomed as possible barricades for New Zealand, who closed day three on 171 for one with nine wickets in hand. Giving Williamson company was Tom Latham with a half century (72 batting, 128b, 5×4).
Williamson, who started his innings with 992 runs for the year reached 1,000 driving Rangana Herath elegantly over mid-off to the boundary. He joins England’s Alastair Cook and Joe Root and Australians David Warner and Steve Smith as the only players to achieve the milestone in 2015 but his batting average of 94.54 is considerably superior to the other four.
Williamson’s class shone as New Zealand ramped up their dominance over Sri Lanka, removing their last six wickets Saturday to have the tourists all out for 294 and 137 runs in arrears.
Earlier Sri Lanka suffered a setback at the start of the day when they resumed their first innings at 197-4 and lost batting general Dinesh Chandimal with the first ball he faced. The Sri Lankan edged an away going delivery from Tim Southee (3/72) to Martin Guptill in the slips and with the hopes of a fightback disappeared. Southee struck again in his next over when he had Kithuruwan Vithanage caught behind for 22.
Milinda Siriwardana and Herath emerged from the setback to produce a stubborn 43-run stand for the seventh wicket that took Sri Lanka close to 300. Southee was well supported by Neil Wagner (3/87).
New Zealand 431 and 171 for one (Tom Latham 72 batting); Sri Lankan 294 (Tim Southee 3/71). Match to continue.
