Watling edges NZ ahead in rollercoaster third day

By Madushka Balasuriya 

reporting from Galle

A day that had begun with a potentially match-saving Niroshan Dickwella 61, ended with a potentially match-winning 63 not out from BJ Watling. Such has been the back and forth nature of this Test that both these innings could conceivably be trumped or side-lined by the end. But for the time being, it’s New Zealand that holds the narrowest of edges, ending the third day 177 runs ahead with three wickets in hand.

For Sri Lanka, it was again the spinners that did the damage, with Akila Dananjaya, Lasith Embuldeniya and Dhananjaya De Silva sharing all seven New Zealand wickets on the day. Embuldeniya was the pick of the bunch with figures of four for 71, including the two prize scalps of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor.

But in a test defined by patience and determination, it was BJ Watling that showcased an abundance of both, putting together successive partnerships with tail enders Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee and William Somerville to nudge New Zealand’s lead ever closer to that coveted 200 mark and ensure that Sri Lanka’s fourth innings chase would not be an easy one.

Watling had come to the crease at 81/4, with Sri Lanka’s grip on an ever more topsy-turvy Test match slowly growing, after a dominant post lunch session for the hosts had seen New Zealand’s entire top order relegated to the pavilion.

After Jeet Raval had fallen just before lunch to De Silva, Embuldeniya struck twice decisively on the other side of the break. Kiwi skipper Williamson was the first to go, continuing a dismal streak in Galle – his previous scores at the ground read 0, 10, and 0 – he fell this time for four, skying Embuldeniya to mid-on, where Kusal Perera completed a difficult take. Taylor followed the trend of ill-conceived stroke making, flaying at one wide outside off stump only to edge it through to slip.

At 25/3 and two of the visitors’ most dangerous batsmen back in dressing room, Sri Lanka would have been sniffing blood, but like it has been right throughout this Test, yet another mini-collapse was followed by a dogged stand. This time it was spearheaded by Tom Latham, whose strike rate of 55.55 in an 85-ball 45 failed to do justice to the counter-attacking nature of his innings.

For one, a majority of those deliveries were consumed in a trialling opening spell, but having seen his teammates perish one after another, Latham took matters into his own hands. In a 56-run stand off just 68 deliveries, Latham scored 33 of them at better than run-a-ball. His partner Henry Nicholls, who contributed 15 in 38, was content to hold up one end.

But just as it seemed the game was slipping from Sri Lanka’s grasp, in stepped Akila, getting one to spit and bite off the surface. Latham offered a solid enough forward defence, but could only manage to edge it down in towards the turf - or so he thought - where Lahiru Thirimanne completed an excellent low catch at close range.

Nicholls would then soon follow, as De Silva returned and got one to fizz off the edge to slip. At 98/5 New Zealand were left with yet another rebuild ahead of them, but Watling would seemingly oblige.

New Zealand›s Ross Taylor watches as Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva takes a catch to dismiss him 

With Santner he put on 26, with Southee an even more impressive 56, and by the end of play his partnership with Somerville was unbeaten on 17. Sri Lanka meanwhile will rue their misfortune, after having Watling given out LBW on one only for a DRS review to show the ball grazing the outside edge of the bat.

Earlier, the morning session had seen Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal continue the good work they had started the previous evening, gradually whittling down the 22-run overnight deficit, though the introduction of the new ball had made things considerably more difficult.

The pair added 15 to their overnight total before a searing spell of express bowling from Trent Boult, littered with short balls, was eventually rewarded. Lakmal’s concentration seemed to have been broken following a nasty hit on his right elbow from a Boult bouncer, and as such found himself dragging the ball on to the stumps while attempting to unnecessarily play at a wide delivery from Boult moments later.

With Sri Lanka still seven short of New Zealand’s first innings total, Dickwella decided the time had come to take more of an attacking approach, following an innings which had been for the most part uncharacteristically subdued and low risk – but also one of his most impressive. While boundaries were still not as forthcoming, Dickwella did manage to take Boult and William Somerville for a boundary each, while in Embuldeniya he had a willing runner eager to make ones into twos.

The pair would put on 20 for the ninth wicket before Dickwella took one risk too many. Coming out of the crease looking to loft Somerville inside out over cover, he was unable to get the required elevation, and only managed to find Williamson at cover, who completed a good catch. The very next over Somerville had his third of the innings trapping Embuldeniya plumb in front of the stumps to limit Sri Lanka’s lead to 18.

- Pix by Chamila Karunarathne