Colin de Grandhomme hit a powerful unbeaten 83 off 75 balls inclusive of five sixes and five fours to put New Zealand in front of Sri Lanka by 138 runs on the first innings of the second cricket Test played at the P Sara Oval, but with one day left in the match and the intermittent weather to contend with the Black Caps’ chances of winning and sharing the two-Test series one-all looks a distant dream unless something dramatic happens today.
Only 48 overs out of 98 were possible on the fourth day yesterday after rain had pushed back the start by 195 minutes to 1.40 pm. and New Zealand resuming at 196-4 carried their total to 382 for five in reply to Sri Lanka’s 244.
In that period of time New Zealand tried to make the most of it to press for quick runs. Their overnight pair opener Tom Latham and Bradley-Jones Watling carried their fifth wicket partnership to worth 143 off 258 balls before Sri Lanka broke through.
 Sri Lanka wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella who is nursing an injury to his left little finger watches the fourth day’s play of the second Test against New Zealand from the P Sara Oval pavilion. Pic by Nathan Delight |
Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera ended Latham’s watchful innings at 154 off 251 balls when he trapped him lbw on the back foot with a quicker delivery shortly before tea.
The left-hander who has scored four of his ten Test hundreds against Sri Lanka batted six hours and hit 15 fours. New Zealand at that stage led Sri Lanka by 25 runs.
However the arrival of de Grandhomme changed the pattern of play as he launched himself against the Lankan bowling that increased the pace of scoring. Most to suffer was left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya who conceded 42 runs to him including three sixes and as many fours.
While Watling played a passive role at the other end de Grandhomme enjoyed his power hitting that resulted in the ball being replaced twice - once when it was lost when he hit it out of the ground and the other when it was damaged by the speed at which it travelled and ricocheted against the concrete stands.
De Grandhomme has so far dominated a healthy unbroken partnership of 113 off 107 balls for the sixth wicket with Watling.
Watling had a head start of 55 when de Grandhomme arrived at the wicket. But the powerful all-rounder caught up with his partner in the seventies and has so far contributed 83 to the partnership.
With Watling finishing the day on 81 not out scored off 208 balls (4 fours), both batsmen are headed neck and neck towards a century when play resumes today the fifth and final day.
De Grandhomme has only one solitary Test century to his name against West Indies in 2017, whereas Watling will be eyeing his seventh and second Test hundred against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka will be remorseful at missing out on the opportunity of getting Grandhomme’s wicket at nine when substitute wicket-keeper Dinesh Chandimal failed to grasp an outside edge that was offered off Embuldeniya before the tea break. The Lankan bowlers stuck to their task of trying not to allow New Zealand the luxury of easy runs, but they found a way to score 189 runs off 48 overs losing only one wicket.
With the pitch showing signs of holding up with the odd bounce there is a lot to play for in the Test if there is an uninterrupted day’s play today especially with Sri Lanka having two injured batsmen in the dressing room who did not take the field yesterday.
Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne is nursing a quadricep strain on his left leg and will not be able to open the innings but bat at number seven as his is an internal injury and he has not been on the field the entire day. Dickwella who suffered a cut to his left little finger while keeping wickets on the third day did not take the field yesterday as a precautionary measure but will be able to bat. Sri Lanka lead 1-0 the two-Test series which is part of the ICC Test Championship.
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