Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara and Asita Fernando got 2-2 successes.

The first match of the two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand is being played in Christchurch. Sri Lanka started the second day with a score of 305/6. The team got all out for 355 runs. At the end of the second day’s play on Friday, New Zealand are 162 for five, trailing Sri Lanka by 193 runs. Tom Latham scored the highest 67 runs for New Zealand. Daryl Mitchell is unbeaten on 40 and Michael Bracewell on 9 runs.

Latham’s half century
New Zealand’s first wicket fell on a score of 67 runs. Opener Devon Conway scored 30 off 88 balls and was lbw to Asita Fernando. The team got a second blow within four runs. Kane Williamson returned to the pavilion after scoring 1 run off 11 balls and was caught by Dimuth Karunaratne off Lahiru Kumara. The team suffered a third blow in the form of Henry Nicholls. Henry got out after scoring 2 runs in 6 balls. At that time the team’s score was only 76 runs. After the initial 3 setbacks, Latham played a big innings for the team. He scored 67 runs in 144 balls. For Sri Lanka, Asita Fernando and Lahiru Kumara took 2-2 wickets, while Kasun Rajitha took 1 wicket.

Latham scored his 27th half-century.

Sri Lanka’s first innings
Earlier, New Zealand won the toss and decided to field first. Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 355 runs in the first innings. For Sri Lanka, there was a century partnership between Kushal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne and a half-century partnership between Angelo Mathews-Dinesh Chandimal. Kusal Mendis top-scored for Sri Lanka with 87 runs. Apart from them, Dimuth Karunaratne 50, Angelo Mathews 47 and Dhananjay D’Silva played important innings of 46 runs.

There was a 137-run partnership between Kushal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne.