CHRISTCHURCH: A stubborn century from Daryl Mitchell, a blazing 72 from Matt Henry and three wickets to Blair Tickner swung the momentum New Zealand’s way in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Sri Lanka had claimed the initiative on the first two days of the Christchurch Test but were 83 for three in their second innings at stumps on day three, a lead of 65 runs.
New Zealand have “swung the game to their side,” Sri Lanka assistant coach Naveed Nawaz conceded.
Angelo Mathews was not out 20, with Prabath Jayasuriya also at the crease on two, and Nawaz suggested Sri Lanka would need at least 200 more runs.
“Daryl Mitchell and Matt Henry, the partnership, took the game away from us,” he said.
“But we have to back ourselves that a couple of our batsmen will go in there and get stuck in and get some big runs to swing the game back to our side.
New Zealand earlier recovered from 151 for five to be all out for 373, an 18-run lead, after a dogged 102 from Mitchell and Henry’s swashbuckling performance that included 58 runs from boundaries.
Tickner claimed the wickets of captain Dimuth Karunaratne for 17, Oshada Fernando for 28 and Kusal Mendis for 14 in the 38 overs before stumps to finish with three wickets for 28 runs off 10 overs.
Sri Lanka, who needs to sweep the two-Test series to keep their hopes of making the World Test Championship final alive, had ripped through the New Zealand top order.
But Mitchell, who has so often been New Zealand’s savior in his 17-Test career, refused to give in as he toiled through 193 deliveries for his eighth century.
The 31-year-old right-hander, son of former All Blacks player and coach John Mitchell, lifted his average to a remarkable 58 from 25 innings.
He put on 54 for the sixth wicket with Michael Bracewell, a further 47 with Tim Southee and 55 with Henry.
For Sri Lanka, Fernando returned the best figures of four for 85 while Kumara took three for 76.
Of concern for New Zealand was the fitness of Neil Wagner, who left the field in the final session for treatment to a leg injury.
