Chameera blows up Kiwis
Hamilton, New Zealand (AFP)-Sri Lanka fought their way back into the
second Test against New Zealand with a destructive burst by young quick
Dushmantha Chameera on day two in Hamilton on Saturday.
Chameera took his first five-wicket bag as New Zealand slumped from
81 without loss in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 292 to be
232-9 at stumps.

Dushmantha Chameera |
Doug Bracewell was not out 30 after a ninth-wicket stand of 31 with
Neil Wagner (17) who was dismissed on the last ball of the day.
The 23-year-old Chameera, bowling at up to 146 kilometres per hour
(90.6 mph), was used sparingly by captain Angelo Mathews, taking three
for 17 in his first spell and two for 30 in his second.
In partnership with the wily 37-year-old Rangana Herath, playing his
67th Test, they took New Zealand apart when it seemed openers Tom Latham
and Martin Guptill were settling in.
New Zealand lost four wickets for eight runs in four overs as
Chameera claimed the scalps of Latham, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor
while Herath removed Guptill.
Brendon McCullum tried to steer his side out of trouble and put on 39
for the fifth wicket with Mitchell Santner before he became Herath’s
second wicket.
Chameera, who in his second spell removed Tim Southee and Wagner, was
delighted with his performance.
“This is my fourth Test and I get five wickets so I am very happy,”
he said, adding the wicket he treasured most was Williamson.
The lean fast bowler said Sri Lanka worked out the batsmen would fall
for the leg-side trap “because that’s the way they naturally play”.
Guptill believed New Zealand were not out of the Test.
“We’re not where we’d like to be. Obviously we had to weather a bit
of a storm after lunch when Sri Lanka bowled very well,” he said. “But
the fight we showed down the order through Dougie (Bracewell), Mitch (Santner)
and BJ (Watling) we are still in this game.”
Sri Lanka’s first innings wrapped up quickly on the second day with
only 28 further runs added, half of them by top scorer Mathews who was
out for 77, caught at third slip by Latham off Southee.
Latham and Guptill made a brisk start for New Zealand as they cruised
through to 81, giving New Zealand three consecutive half-century opening
stands for the first time in 14 years.
Chameera had been kept out of the attack for most of the partnership
but when he came in he was on the money almost immediately, having
Latham caught by Dimuth Karunaratne at leg gully for 28.
In his next over he took out New Zealand’s batting kingpin Williamson
for one. Again targeting the leg side, as he did with Latham, Chameera
tempted Williamson into a pull shot which was skied to Suranga Lakmal at
deep square leg.
Guptill, who had looked solid as he reached 50, escaped the wrath of
Chameera only to fall to Herath, playing across the line and getting an
edge which was smartly taken by Mathews at first slip.
Chameera completed the four-over rout to have Taylor caught by Dinesh
Chandimal without scoring. McCullum, who put away his natural attacking
instincts, was initially given out on 17 off 47 balls when caught by
Udara Jayasundera in the deep. He was called back as he headed off the
field as television replays showed Nuwan Pradeep’s delivery was a no
ball.
But he failed to make the most of the reprieve with his eventual
dismissal coming one run later when he was neatly caught one-handed by
Kusal Mendis at short leg. Santner made 38 and Watling 28 as New Zealand
tried to recover but they still ended the day 60 runs behind with only
one wicket remaining.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka 1st innings
D. Karunaratne c Watling b Southee 12
K. Mendis c Watling b Southee 31
U. Jayasundera run out Santner/Watling 26
D. Chandimal c Watling b Bracewell 47
A. Mathews c Latham b Southee 77
M. Siriwardana c Taylor b Boult 62
K. Vithanage c McCullum b Boult 00
R. Herath run out (Williamson) 04
D. Chameera c McCullum b Bracewell 04
S. Lakmal c Williamson b Wagner 04
N. Pradeep not out 02
Extras: (lb11, w12) 23
Total (all out) 292
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-44, 3-115, 4-121, 5-259
6-259, 7-264, 8-284, 9-288
Bowling: Boult 20-2-51-2
Southee 21-5-63-3 (w1)
Bracewell 22.1-4-81-2 (w1)
Wagner 9-1-51-1 (w2)
Santner 7-0-34-0
Williamson 1-0-1-0
New Zealand 1st innings
M. Guptill c Mathews b Herath 50
T. Latham c Karunaratne b Chameera 28
K. Williamson c Lakmal b Chameera 01
R. Taylor c Chandimal b Chameera 00
B. McCullum c Mendis b Herath 18
M. Santner c Chandimal b Pradeep 38
B. Watling c Vithanage b Lakmal 28
D. Bracewell not out 30
T. Southee c Jayasundera b Chameera 04
N. Wagner c Vithanage b Chameera 17
T. Boult not out 00
Extras: (lb3, nb7, w8) 18
Total (9 wickets) 232
Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-83, 3-86, 4-89, 5-128, 6-168
7-196, 8-201, 9-232
Bowling: Lakmal 16-4-48-1 (w1, nb1)
Mathews 11-7-25-0
Pradeep 17-4-34-1 (w1, nb5)
Herath 22-1-75-2
Chameera 12.4-3-47-5 (w2, nb1) |