Cricket: NZ rocked before tea

COLOMBO - The continuation of Thilshan Samaraweera's golden year maintained Sri Lanka's control of the second cricket test against New Zealand here today.

Samaraweera's sterling 143, his fourth significant century of 2009 formed the bedrock of Sri Lanka's imposing first innings of 416 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

By tea New Zealand were vulnerable at 51 for two after facing just 10 overs.

Sri Lanka, perhaps inspired by spinner Jeetan Patel's four-wicket burst, today surprisingly threw the new ball to occasional spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan.

One generous over later, normality returned and Dammika Prasad had Tim McIntosh shouldering arms and leg before wicket with his first ball after making five.

Daniel Flynn's poor series then continued when he snicked Thilan Thushara to diving wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene to depart for 13.

Opener Martin Guptill was not out on a rapid 29 from 26 balls while Ross Taylor was on two.

New Zealand's remaining batsmen will need to mirror Samaraweera's powers of concentration and controlled strokeplay if they are to get within range of Sri Lanka's first innings.

Samaraweera added only nine runs after lunch but the damage had already been done by arguably the world's form batsman of 2009.

When the 32-year-old's resistance was finally ended by an uncharacteristic reverse sweep to the resurgent Patel, he had amassed 1058 runs for the calendar year, only 13 behind England captain Andrew Strauss's aggregate, who has played seven more innings.

Samaraweera's 143 from 240 balls follows his 159 in the first innings at Galle last week.

Five months ago he stroked double tons in consecutive tests in Pakistan, the last made a day before the terrorist attack on the team bus in Lahore that left him with a bullet lodged in his thigh.

The 54-test veteran kept the bullet fragments as a souvenir and now has happier cricket-related memories to reflect on during what has been the landmark season of his eight-year international career.

Breaking the overnight fourth-wicket stand between Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene was essential for New Zealand when Sri Lanka resumed on 262 for three.

And although the duo added only 33 before Jayawardene was denied his 10th century on his home ground, the 180-run partnership already threatens to be a point of difference.

New Zealand scythed through the lower order, snaring the last five wickets for just 27 runs.

Samaraweera was party to the collapse when he was ninth out after batting 382 minutes, in which time he stroked 17 boundaries and a rare six.

As Samaraweera ticked off his 11th career ton, Jayawardene was denied his milestone when loosely edging Iain O'Brien to Brendon McCullum on 92, just shy of becoming the first test batsmen to post 10 hundreds at the same venue.

Samaraweera was not as distracted, however.

Restarting on 78 he took two boundaries from O'Brien before being content to sit for 14 balls on 99 before clipping a stress-relieving two off Martin.

The veteran fast bowler was finally rewarded when O'Brien held Prasanna Jayawardene's top-edged pull at long leg though it was Patel who made the most serious inroads.

Despite bowling without the control and economy of Daniel Vettori, Patel flirted with a hattrick and then his second five-wicket bag as Sri Lanka's batting fell away.

Patel broke his duck before lunch when Vettori took the catch to dismiss Chamara Kapugedera, then in his 18th over he removed Prasad - caught by Taylor at slip - and Ragana Herath lbw in successive deliveries.

Muttiah Muralitharan appeared caught off guard by the mini-collapse and had to bustle to the crease to avoid the possibility of being timed out.

He defended the hattrick ball although when Patel later had Samaraweera caught by McCullum and ended with four for 78 from 20 overs.

Vettori ended with three for 104 from 40.3 overs, taking the last wicket to fall to deservedly improve on the two scalps yesterday that enabled him to join the 300-wicket, 3000-run test allrounders club.

- NZPA