Colombo: Trent Boult and Tim Southee led New Zealand’s charge against Sri Lanka on day two of the rain-hit second Test in Colombo on Friday.
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The pacemen claimed two wickets each as Sri Lanka reached 144 for six at lunch when rain came down and no further play was possible.
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Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne moved from his overnight 49 to score 65 and provided the only bit of resistance in the morning session, which saw 29.3 overs bowled.
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Boult took two early wickets in one over after Sri Lanka resumed the day at 85 for two.
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Dhanajaya de Silva on 32 and Dilruwan Perera on five were at the crease.
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Southee, like Boult, also delivered a double-wicket maiden as the duo put on a superb display of seam bowling under overcast conditions.
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Boult got overnight batsman Angelo Mathews caught behind for two to reach a landmark of 250 Test wickets — only the third Kiwi bowler to achieve the feat.
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He trapped Kusal Perera lbw for nought after just three balls as Sri Lanka slipped to 93-4 and would have been in further trouble had Boult held on to a simple catch from de Silva off his own bowling a few overs later.
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Karunaratne also got a lifeline on 61 when Kane Williamson could not grab a tough chance at short midwicket off Ajaz Patel.
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But the left-hander, who completed his 23rd Test fifty after resuming the day on 49, soon fell, caught behind off Southee for 65.
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Southee struck again in the same over to send Niroshan Dickwella trudging back to the pavilion for nought.
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Perera then played out the rest of the session with de Silva.
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Medium-pace bowler Colin de Grandhomme and spinner William Somerville took a wicket each on the opening day after Sri Lanka elected to bat first.
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Weather permitting, extended playing time is planned for the third day after two days of continuous rain interruptions in the Sri Lankan capital.
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Scoreboard:
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Sri Lanka (overnight 85-2)
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D. Karunaratne c Watling b Southee 65
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L. Thirimanne c Williamson b Somerville 2
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K. Mendis c Watling b de Grandhomme 32
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A. Mathews c Watling b Boult 2
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K. Perera lbw b Boult 0
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D. de Silva not out 32
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N. Dickwella c Watling b Southee 0
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D. Perera not out 5
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Extras (b1, lb2, nb3) 6
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Total (6 wickets, 66 overs) 144
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Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Thirimanne), 2-79 (Mendis), 3-93 (Mathews), 4-93 (Perera), 5-130 (Karunaratne), 6-130 (Dickwella)
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Bowling: Boult 14-5-33-2, Southee 20-5-40-2, De Grandhomme 17-3-35-1 (nb3), Somerville 6-3-20-1, Patel 9-3-13-0
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