Sri Lanka gave back as good as they got – Guptill

(Reuters) – After being peppered by New Zealand’s pace bowling quartet by a barrage of short-pitched bowling, Sri Lanka gave it back to the hosts in spades on Saturday to gain a slight advantage on the second day of the second test in Hamilton.

The visitors’ chief destroyer was rookie fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, the quickest in both sides, as he took a career best return of 5-47 to reduce New Zealand to 232-9, still 60 runs behind his side’s first innings of 292.

Chameera, who took three top-order wickets in the space of 13 balls after lunch, was aided by captain Angelo Mathews’ tactics, where he packed the leg side with fielders and dared New Zealand’s batsmen to take them on.

Strangely, the hosts did, despite it being apparent what the Sri Lankans were planning.

At one stage, Mathews had a forward short leg, a square leg and deep forward square standing virtually in a straight line from the wicket to the boundary waiting for a lofted shot from Neil Wagner.

While Wagner did not succumb at the time — he hit Chameera for two fours and a six in one over with the fielders hovering — the tactic did work earlier, with Tom Latham, Kane Williamson and Tim Southee all falling to the leg side trap.

Chameera also had Ross Taylor caught behind for a duck as the batsman tried to fend off a short-pitched ball that was angled across him.

“We got as good as what we gave,” New Zealand opener Martin Guptill, who had raced to 81 without loss with Latham before Chameera struck, told Radio Sport.

“There was a period after lunch where it just went away from us and they made it uncomfortable for us.

“It was a tough little period for a while.”

Chameera, who topped out at more than 146kph, was not the only bowler to adhere to the short-pitched game plan with Nuwan Pradeep having Brendon McCullum caught at fine leg for 17 off a top-edged hook.

The New Zealand captain only survived because Pradeep had overstepped, though he fell just one run later when he was caught in close by Kusal Mendis off Rangana Herath.

Despite being nine down at the close, Guptill was confident his side were still in the game and that Doug Bracewell (30 not out) and Trent Boult could eat into the lead early on the third day before they get the ball back.

“I think Dougy has shown us some very good fight there in the number eight position and … hopefully Boulty can stick around and Dougy can have some fun,” he said.

“We just have to come out tomorrow and get as many runs as possible, then bowl well (and)… we could get them four (wickets) for not many in the morning.

“Cricket is a funny game.”

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)