Mathews, Chandimal lead Sri Lanka’s solid response

An Angelo Mathews fifty in the company of another senior Dinesh Chandimal punctuated Sri Lanka’s strong response to being rattled late on Day 3 as they went to Lunch on Day 4 at 150 for 4, with a lead of 132 over New Zealand in Christchurch. The only wicket to fall in the session was that of nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya, who became Blair Tickner’s fourth dismissal of the innings.

New Zealand began the fourth day without the services of Neil Wagner, who failed a fitness test in the morning following some back issues he suffered on Day 3. That combined with Matt Henry not being fully fit played into the hands of Sri Lanka as they patiently added to their lead in a session where they scored 67 runs in 28 overs at under 3-an-over.

Though the pitch appeared to be easing out a bit, Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal had to proceed cautiously as the odd-ball misbehaved and kept New Zealand in business to trigger a collapse. The swing that the pacers on both sides got on the previous days was gone but there was still some seam movement for Tim Southee & Co. to latch onto. Tickner, who’d picked the three wickets in the final session on Day 3, got his fourth of the innings when he got Jayasuriya to feather a good length delivery – that straightened a little – to the keeper. The tailender wasn’t sure if he nicked it but a review was not taken, a rightly so as there was a clear spike.