Record stand propels NZ

JOB DONE: Kane Williamson (left), and BJ Watling dominated the Sri Lanka bowlers on day four of the second test in Wellington.PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

A WORLD record-setting day for New Zealand has given them the springboard to press for victory on the final day of the second test against Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve today.

The sixth wicket partnership between Kane Williamson and BJ Watling of 365 eclipsed the old mark of 352, set by Watling and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum on the same ground last February.

New Zealand declared at 524 for five, with Williamson on 242 - his first test double century - and Watling on 142.

It was Williamson's ninth test century and only Martin Crowe (17), John Wright and Ross Taylor (12), Brendon McCullum and Nathan Astle (11) have scored more for New Zealand. It is the seventh highest score by a New Zealand batsman in a test.

He passed 3000 test runs at 208, becoming the fastest New Zealand batsman to the mark - in 71 innings two fewer than Crowe, who is rated the country's finest batsman.

His average rose to 45.96, the best by any New Zealander with a minimum of 20 test innings.

Williamson did have some luck yesterday.

He was dropped twice before wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene put him down at 104 off Rangana Herath. At 233, Jayawardene badly missed a stumping off the luckless Herath when Williamson was stranded down the pitch.

Watling, by contrast was chanceless in completing his fourth test century and only McCullum, with five, has more for New Zealand among specialist wicketkeepers.

Sri Lanka needed to win this test to level the series, after losing the first by eight wickets in Christchurch.

Williamson, who batted 10h 23min and faced 438 balls, and Watling - eight hours and 333 balls faced - all but put that idea to bed yesterday. Unless Sri Lanka pull off what would be the highest successful fourth innings run chase in the Basin Reserve's history, New Zealand will have completed six successive test series won or drawn.

At stumps, needing 390 to win, Sri Lanka were 45 for one, having lost opener Dimuth Karunaratne to a poor shot, caught at mid off from offspinner Mark Craig. Kaushal Silva was on 20 and Dhammika Prasad on 1.

NZME.