Cricket: Dilshan ruins NZ's encouraging start

Chris Martin enhanced his standing among New Zealand's elite bowlers as Sri Lanka made up for lost time once the first cricket test got underway at the Galle International Stadium today.

New Zealand made a dream start when Martin struck with his third ball to move clear of Danny Morrison into outright fourth on New Zealand's list of test wicket takers.

But after captain Daniel Vettori's decision to bowl first in sticky conditions after a 90-minute rain delay was quickly justified, Tillakaratne Dilshan ensured the momentum resided with the home side by spanking a rapid-fire, unbeaten 74 off just 56 deliveries.

At lunch Sri Lanka's initially vulnerable 16 for two had developed into an ominous 111 for two from just 22 overs.

Dilshan piloted the recovery, shrugging off the loss of two partners inside the morning's first three overs by cracking the fastest test half century ever by a Sri Lankan batsman.

Had the opening session not been limited to 90 minutes instead of the standard two hours, Dilshan might have been capable of recording just the fourth hundred by a batsman during the opening session of a test match.

Instead three figures loom in the middle session when he resumes a 95-run stand with former captain Mahela Jayawardene, who compiled a practically nondescript 29.

Dilshan had vowed to replicate the ultra-aggressive approach that earned him the man of the tournament award at June's World Twenty20 in England. He kept his word, negating Martin's double breakthrough with a clinical display of boundary hitting.

Opening for the first time in his 56-test career, Dilshan treated the experience no differently from his role in the limited overs formats as he treated New Zealand's new bowlers with disdain.

Iain O'Brien bore the brunt of the majority of Dilshan's audacious assault and was dispatched to the out field after his first four overs contributed 40 runs to Sri Lanka's rapid start.

Dilshan instantly zeroed in on O'Brien from the right armer's opening over and effortlessly peeled off boundaries to all points of the picturesque ground.

He found the ropes twice in O'Brien's opening over then took a trio of boundaries of his next, including a searing drive through cover point.

Tired of being driven at will, O'Brien changed tack and his length but a rare short ball simply sat up and was hooked high over the square leg as his spirit drooped.

Dilshan rocketed to his 13th test fifty from 30 balls with eight boundaries and the six -- a strike rate that even dwarfed the efforts of Sanath Jayasuriya, his hard-hitting predecessor at the top of the Sri Lankan test line-up.

Martin did not entirely avoid the impact of Dilshan's flailing blade but the 34-year-old at least had the satisfaction of moving clear of Morrison's 160-wicket haul.

A peach that shaped away from Tharanga Paravitana provided his 161st scalp in his 49th test when Brendon McCullum took a straight forward outside edge.

Martin experienced more joy in his second over when captain Kumar Sangakkara, who had clipped two smooth boundaries through the onside to get off the mark earlier in the over, unbelievably directed a soft half volley to Daniel Flynn's hands at mid wicket.

Jayawardene then took a dozen balls to get off the mark with his first boundary, not that there was any rush for the former skipper as Dilshan happily handled the run-scoring responsibilities.

Martin's six-over burst ended with two wickets 26. Jacob Oram, Vettori and Jeetan Patel were also employed without initial success.

- NZPA