Mitchell and Tickner lead New Zealand fightback against SL

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.

“Its a good wicket to bat on and gives a little bit to the fast bowlers still so I suppose anything above 275-300 would be a good score.”

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 need 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 saviour 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.

Mitchell leapt in the air when he reached his century, waved his bat and received a hug from Henry to celebrate. He added only two more runs before was caught behind off Lahiru Kumara and New Zealand were 291-8.

Henry then exploded with his personal-best 72, which included 10 fours and three sixes. He belted spinner Dhananjaya de Silva out of the attack by taking 17 runs in just one over.

Worse was to come for Sri Lanka when de Silva’s replacement Kasun Rajitha conceded 24 to Henry in his first over.

This was on a third-day wicket that continued to offer assistance to the bowlers, with Rajitha and Asitha Fernando both getting movement early in the day.

Score Board

New Zealand won the toss

Sirlanka 1st innings 355

New Zealand 1st innings

Latham b A. Fernando 67

Conway lbw A. Fernando 30

Williamson c Karunaratne b Kumara 1

Nicholls c Rajitha b Kumara 2

Mitchell c Dickwella b Kumara 102

Blundell c Dickwella b Rajitha 7

Bracewell c Dickwella b Jayasuriya 25

Southee c Kumara b Rajitha 25

Henry b A. Fernando 72

Wagner c de Silva b A. Fernando 27

Tickner not out 2

Extras: (b4, lb6, w3) 13

Total:107.3 overs 373

Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-70, 3-76, 4-134, 5-151, 6-188, 7-235, 8-291, 9-360, 10-373

Bowling: Rajitha 31-10-104-2, A. Fernando 29.3-5-85-4, Kumara 25-5-76-3, de Silva 9-2-34-0, Mathews 3-0-18-0, Jayasuriya 10-1-46-1

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

Fernando c Blundell b Tickner 28

Karunaratne c Nicholls b Tickner 17

Mendis c Bracewell b Tickner 14

Mathews not out 20

Jayasuriya not out 2

Extras: (lb1, w1) 2

Total: 38 overs 83

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-47, 3-81

Bowling: Southee 12-4-23-0, Henry 10-2-19-0, Tickner 10-1-28-3, Wagner 3-0-9-0, Mitchell 3-1-3-0

Umpires: Gough, Gaffaney