Sri Lanka build up on their lead on Day 3 ahead of rest day
On Day 3 of the first Test, New Zealand managed to muster a 35-run lead and Sri Lanka could not contain Glenn Phillip (48 off 44) in time. The hosts lost Pathum Nissanka (2) early when they came out to bat for the second time. Dimuth Karunarathne (83 off 127) and Dinesh Chandimal (61 off 150) stitched an important 147-run stand for the second wicket. The duo were outdone within a span of eight deliveries and the pitch started to wear out.
Angelo Matthews (34* off 72)) and Kamindu Mendis (13) started building the partnership but the latter holed out to Daryl Mitchell playing a loose drive. Dhananjaya de Silva (34* off 64) assisted Matthews well in the building and saw through some intense pace at the end of the day. Sri Lanka ended Day 3 with 237 runs for the loss of four wickets. They will aim to add to the 202-run lead they have against their name on Day 4 of the first Test of the series.
Notably, tomorrow (September 21) will be a ‘rest day‘ and no cricket will be played at the Galle Stadium due to the presidential elections in Sri Lanka. Hence, Day 4 will commence on September 22, and the subsequent day will be the last day of the Test.
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For New Zealand, youngster William O’Rourke dazzled with three wickets adding to his first innings exploits, where he picked a fifer. The other wicket came at the end of spinner, Ajaz Patel as he cleaned up Karunaratne to break the crucial partnership. The final session could not exhaust the allotted overs due to bad light and it accounted for 103 runs and three wickets.
Here’s how ‘X’ users reacted to Day 3 of SL vs NZ first Test:
The test match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka has come to a very interesting turn.#SLvNZ
— DhanoaRitik ® (@RitikDhanoa) September 20, 2024
Wow Dimuth Karunaratne played an impreesive inning against Newzeland #SLvsNZ
— Awais Aziz (@awaisaziz21) September 20, 2024
William O’Rourke is a beast. Strong built and tall. Clicks 140+ KPH, extracts extra bounce & seam movement from the deck. Bowls with control. All this & he’s only 23.
— Raheel (@26yarder) September 20, 2024
Santner back into the attack, Sri Lanka continues to build their lead.
NZ 🇳🇿 vs SL 🇱🇰 | 2nd Test | Day 3: 3rd Session | Sri Lanka Tour of New Zealand
SL 233/4 (70.4) | Dhananjaya de Silva 33(63), Angelo Mathews 31(65) | Partnership: 55(109) |
Mitchell Santner 13.4-2-49-0…— The Cricket Stories (@thecricstories) September 20, 2024
Day 3 of the 1st Test saw Sri Lanka take control against New Zealand in Galle! After a solid first innings lead, the Kiwis struggled as Sri Lanka’s Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal built a strong partnership. Sri Lanka ended the day at 237/4, leading by 202 runs! #SLvNZ 🏏 pic.twitter.com/nPzFNtkPeA
— NZ Men’s Cricket – Fan Page 🇳🇿 (@nz_kiwi0107) September 20, 2024
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