New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 1st Test, Day 3: Kane Williamson reaches 1000 runs in 2015 as NZ grip SL

Kane Williamson crossed the landmark of 1000 runs in 2015, only the second Kiwi to do so in a calendar year

New Zealand were in the driving seat at stumps on day 3 in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka, having scored 171/1 in their second innings- in addition to their first innings score of 431- after dismissing SL for 294 in their first. Kane Williamson and Tom Latham were unbeaten on 48 and 72 respectively.

New Zealand now lead the visitors by 308 runs, with 9 second-innings wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka began the day at their overnight score of 197/4, but lost their last six wickets for 97 runs. Tim Southee wreaked havoc early on, as he struck a double-blow dismissing both the overnight batsmen, Dinesh Chandimal for 83 and Kithuruwan Vithanage for 22, in the space of three overs, thereby leaving Sri Lanka at 209/6.

Milinda Siriwardana and Rangana Herath then tried to revive the Lankan innings from the early jitters, as they batted patiently putting up 43 runs for the seventh wicket. But NZ struck back just at the right time, as they had done earlier in the day, with two strikes in relatively quick time.

Neil Wagner was the bowler this time, as he dismissed both Siriwardana and Herath in the 102nd and the 110th over to leave the visitors tottering at 273/8, still miles behind the Kiwi 1st innings total of 431.

Dushmantha Chameera and Suranga Lakmal tried to put up some resistance but couldn’t last long as the Sri Lankan 1st innings was bundled out for 294.

Wagner and Southee picked up three wickets each for New Zealand, while Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner picked up two-a-piece.

In reply, the first innings centurion Martin Guptill, and his partner-in-crime Tom Latham, began solidly for New Zealand and shared a first wicket stand of 79 runs. Herath, Sri Lanka’s most experienced bowler, dismissed Guptill for 46, but Kane Williamson thereafter continued from where Guptill had left.

Williamson, in the process, added yet another feather to his cap, when he became only the second New Zealand batsman to score 1000 runs in a calendar year.

Williamson needed just eight runs to cross the 1000-run mark, when he came out to bat today, and scored his 1000th run with a boundary off Rangana Herath. He had come close to the milestone in the first innings itself, but was dismissed on 88 by Nuwan Pradeep.

He has already scored three centuries and a double-century in 2015, and averages a staggering 90.18, with this Test being only his seventh Test of the year.

He had also scored 929 runs in 2014, and thereby also holds the record for the third most number of runs in a calendar year by a New Zealand batsman.

Brendon McCullum, the Blackcaps captain, who got 1,164 runs in 2014, which also included the first triple-century by a Kiwi batsman in history, currently holds the record for the most number of runs in a calendar year by a New Zealander.

Latham and Williamson led NZ to stumps on day 3 at 171/1, leading Sri Lanka by 308 runs in their second innings, with two days of cricket still left in the Test match.

Scorecard:

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field

New Zealand 1st innings: 431

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 294

D Karunaratne	84 (198)
K Mendis	8 (19)
U Jayasundera	1 (6)
D Chandimal	83 (209)
A Mathews	2 (10)
K Vithanage	22 (56)
M Siriwardana	35 (60)
R Herath	15 (74)
D Chameera	14 (43)
S Lakmal	18* (27)
N Pradeep	3 (5)
Extras	9
Total	294

New Zealand Bowling:

	Overs	Runs	Wickets
Trent Boult	22	52	2
Tim Southee	27	71	3
Doug Bracewell	21	42	0
Neil Wagner	25	87	3
Mitchell Santner	21.1	37	2
Kane Williamson	1	0	0

NZ 2nd innings: 171/1

Martin Guptill	46 (82)
Tom Latham	72* (128)
Kane Williamson	48* (82)

Sri Lanka Bowling:

	Overs	Runs	Wickets
Suranga Lakmal	9	26	0
Nuwan Pradeep	9	29	0
Angelo Mathews	4	4	0
Dushmantha Chameera	10	40	0
Rangana Herath	8	39	1
Udara Jayasundera	1	4	0
Milinda Siriwardana	7	28	0

New Zealand lead Sri Lanka by 308 runs in the 2nd innings.