(UTV|COLOMBO) – Colin de Grandhomme holed out second ball of the final day for 83, but BJ Watling unleashed his attacking avatar and rumbled to a century before New Zealand declared on 431 for 6, claiming a first-innings lead of 187.
Sri Lanka need to bat out 91 overs if they are to earn a draw and seal a 1-0 series win.
In a big blow to the home side, captain Dimuth Karunaratne will not be allowed to bat any higher than No. 7 in the second innings after suffering a quadricep tear, which kept him off the field on the fourth day as well as on the fifth morning.
After overnight showers had delayed the start of the final day’s play, New Zealand batted just five overs, rattling up 49 runs.
Lasith Embuldeniya struck immediately, when he got one to jump out of the rough and draw a top edge from de Grandhomme. Watling, however, did a de Grandhomme, sweeping, reverse sweeping and even advancing down the track in carefree fashion.
He moved into the 90s with a drilled drive past Lahiru Kumara, the bowler, and later raised his own century and New Zealand’s 400 with a down-the-track club over the midwicket boundary.
Days after becoming New Zealand’s highest-scoring wicketkeeper, Watling surpassed his former captain Brendon McCullum again, this time to become the highest century-maker among New Zealand wicketkeepers.
Tim Southee also joined the fun, contributing 24 off ten balls in a rollicking 49-run seventh-wicket stand with Watling, before Kane Williamson called them in.
-ESPNCricinfo
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