New Zealand will go into the final day of the first Test against Sri Lanka needing 257 runs for victory with nine wickets in hand after a 14th century from Angelo Mathews dragged the tourists right back into the contest at Hagley Oval on Sunday.
Mathews scored a defiant 115 and shared partnerships of 105 with Dinesh Chandimal (42) and 60 with Dhananjaya de Silva (47 not out) to help extend Sri Lanka’s lead from 65 runs overnight to 284 when they were dismissed for 302.
A Daryl Mitchell century and stiff resistance from the tail rescued the first New Zealand innings, but they will need the top order to lay a decent platform if they are to take the lead in the two-match series.
They were 28/1 at stumps with Tom Latham and Kane Williamson at the crease. If New Zealand can beat Sri Lanka it will end the visitors’s-hopes of playing in the WorldTest Championship (WTC)final in June.
New Zealand’s highest previous successful fourth innings run chase also came in Christchurch in 1994, when they scored 324/5 to beat Pakistan by five wickets.
Brief scores: SL 355 and 302 (A. Mathews 115; B. Tickner 4/100). NZ 373 and 28/1. At stumps, Day IV.
