Friday 44 Sports Friday, December 28, 2018 Brilliant Boult ‘in the groove’ as N Zealand take full control ‘It is probably one of the best swing grounds in the country’ CHRISTCHURCH: Chief destroyer Trent Boult felt lazy shot to Lahiru Kumara and was caught at first he was “in the groove” as his sublime six- slip for 48. At the close of the second day, Latham spell, backed by half-centuries from was on 74 with on 25. Latham re- and Jeet Raval gave New Zealand a vice-like grip ceived a life on 32 when he top-edged Suranga on the second Test against Sri Lanka in Lakmal to fine leg where the ball slipped through Christchurch yesterday. the fingers of a diving Dushmantha Chameera. At the close of the second day, New Zealand Patel, who worked with Latham to produce were 231 for two, holding a commanding 305-run the first wicketless session in the Test when they lead in their second innings with eight in batted from lunch to tea, was out in the second hand. Sri Lanka’s hopes of taking the series-de- over after the resumption for 74. Sri Lanka had ciding Test were severely dented in a 15-ball mas- resumed at 88 for four harbouring thoughts of terclass of swing bowling from Boult when he took overhauling New Zealand’s first innings 178. six wickets for four runs to give New Zealand a 74- But nine overs and 16 runs later their last six run first innings advantage. wickets were gone, all taken by Boult, who finished “It is probably one of the best swing bowling with a career best six for 30. “Honestly, we are well grounds in the country. It was quite still out there behind in the game,” Sri Lanka batting coach Thi- and the ball was in good nick as well,” Boult said. ran Samaraweera said, but adding that they re- “It is nice to get the ball moving around, making mained hopeful. the most of it. “It’s all about rhythm for me anyway. “Anything can happen. The new ball is due after I suppose getting into a groove, a couple of wick- one over (on Friday). If we can get through a cou- ets gives you a bit of confidence and just lets you ple of wickets, keep them under 420, that’s a good go about your thing. Sometimes you’re not really thing.” Only Angelo Mathews was able to keep thinking about much and it’s kind of happening for Boult out and he was unbeaten on 33 at the close you.” With the Sri Lanka innings in tatters, New of the innings. Boult triggered the collapse when Zealand took 74-run first-innings lead, which he had Roshen Silva caught by at CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand’s Trent Boult bowls during day two of the second Test match Latham and Raval extended to 195 with a third slip for 21. A diving Southee produced a between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Park Oval in Christchurch yesterday. — AFP opening stand. spectacular one-handed catch in Boult’s next over to remove Niroshan Dickwella for four. Dilruwan ‘WE ARE WELL BEHIND’ - Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Chameera and Lahiru Ku- and Latham added a further mara all misread Boult and went quickly leg before SCOREBOARD 68 for the second wicket until Williamson played a wicket without scoring to end the innings. — AFP Scoreboard at stumps on day two of the second Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Christchurch yesterday:

New Zealand first innings 178 (T. Southee 68, (Mendis), 5-94 (Silva), 6-100 (Dickwella), 7- Bangladesh lifts B. Watling 46; Lakmal 5-54) 100 (Perera), 8-100 (Lakmal), 9-104 (Chameera), 10-104 (Kumara) Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 88-4): Bowling: Boult 15-8-30-6, Southee 15-5- Smith’s D. Karunaratne c Williamson b Southee 7 35-3, de Grandhomme 6-0-19-1, Wagner 5- D. Gunathilaka c Raval b Southee 8 0-10-0. tournament ban D. Chandimal c Watling b Southee 6 K. Mendis c Watling b de Grandhomme 15 New Zealand second innings A. Mathews 33 J. Raval c Mendis b Perera 74 DHAKA: Bangladeshi cricket officials yesterday R. Silva c Southee b Boult 21 T. Latham not out 74 lifted a ban on former Australian Steve N. Dickwella c Southee b Boult 4 K. Williamson c Mendis b Kumara 48 Smith playing in the forthcoming Twenty20 D. Perera lbw Boult 0 R. Taylor not out 25 Bangladesh Premier League, an official said. The S. Lakmal lbw Boult 0 Extras: (b 3, lb 1, wd 3, nb 3) 10 Steve Smith ruling means Smith, currently serving a one-year D. Chameera lbw Boult 0 Total: (for 2 wickets, 79 overs) 231 ban from international cricket over a ball-tam- L. Kumara lbw Boult 0 Fall: 1-121 (Raval), 2-189 (Williamson) pering scandal, is free to play for Comilla Victo- demand. Australia’s ex-vice captain David Warner Extras: (b 5, lb 5, nb 0) 10 Bowling: Lakmal 16-5-38-0, Kumara 19-4- rians in the next edition of the BPL starting on will also play in the BPL-which concludes on Feb- Total: (all out; 41 overs) 104 60-1 (1w), Chameera 15-5-53-0 (2w, January 5. ruary 8, 2019 — having signed for the Sylhet Six- Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Karunaratne), 2-20 2nb), Perera 20-2-57-1 (1nb), Gunathi- He has signed for the side and is expected to ers as one of their two pre-draft signings. (Chandimal), 3-21 (Gunathilaka), 4-51 laka 9-2-19-0. join up with teammates in mid-January for the Smith and Warner were handed year-long in- second phase of the BPL as a replacement for ternational bans for their roles in a ball-tamper- Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. The ing scandal that rocked Australian cricket in yesterday. Guptill, whose unbeaten 237 against Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had initially March. They were also banned from playing in blocked his participation after other franchises Australia’s domestic Sheffield Shield and Big Big-hitting Guptill the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup is the raised objections about Smith, who was not in Bash League. The BPL will be Smith’s third T20 second highest ODI score of all time, has been the initial players’ draft list for the tournament. league outing-after Canada’s Global T20 and the back in NZ colours sidelined by injury in recent months. “We could not give him permission earlier as Caribbean Premier League-since the ban was “It’s great to have Martin back after injury and other franchises had protested his signing,” BCB imposed. He also recently signed for the Pakistan he’ll obviously add all his class and experience to spokesman Jalal Yunus said yesterday. “Today Super League, which will be played in February CHRISTCHURCH: , one of only a the side,” selector Gavin Larsen said as New four franchises emailed us separately saying that and March. handful of players to have scored a double cen- Zealand build towards next year’s World Cup in they have withdrawn their objections for the The BPL, which started in 2011, was hit by tury in one-day cricket, will return to the New England and Wales. With the selectors endeav- greater interest of the tournament,” he said. allegations of match-fixing in its early years. Zealand squad for next month’s one-day series ouring to give opportunities to a wider group of Yunus added that in return other franchises After a suspension, the tournament resumed in against Sri Lanka. players, incumbent one-day wicketkeeper Tom wanted at least one replacement player outside of 2015 and has since been staged without serious All-rounders Doug Bracewell and Jimmy Latham will miss the Sri Lanka series, while Colin the players’ draft and the BCB had agreed to their controversy. — AFP Neesham also return in the 13-man squad named de Grandhomme has been rested. — AFP