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Sri Lanka put up brave display at grassy Seddon Park before late strikes by Trent Boult on Day 1

Angelo Mathews plays a shot on way to his unbeaten 63

Sri Lanka’s young batting unit put up a brave display on a grass covered pitch at Seddon Park Hamilton on Day 1, before late strikes by Trent Boult turned the tide in the hosts’ favour, before rains set in to force early stumps. Trying to claw back from a 0-1 deficit, the visitors have finished the first day at 264/7.

All the Lankan batsmen got starts, and their mainstays were among runs as well. Dinesh Chandimal played an attacking knock of 47, seemingly beating Brendon McCullum at his own attacking game.

Angelo Mathews and Milinda Siriwardana propped up the Lanka innings with a 138-run partnership, and it looked like their effort had ensured that their team would finish the first day at a position of ascendancy.

At 259/4, Mathews and Siriwardana only needed to play the last few overs of the day to shock the Kiwis, who had sent them in to bat after winning the toss, expecting a quick batting collapse from an inexperienced batting order on a pitch that has the most amount of grass seen in Test cricket in recent times.

However, Sri Lanka lost three wickets in 13 balls, as Trent Boult set the floodgates open, to be at 264 for 7 as rain set in.

Brief Scores:

SL 264/7 – Mathews (63*), Siriwardana (62), Chandimal (47), Mendis (31)

Trent Boult 2/43, Tim Southee 2/51

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