NZ vs SL 2nd Test: Williamson 215, Nicholls 200 put New Zealand in command after day two

Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls scored double centuries, sharing a partnership of 363 as New Zealand flayed Sri Lanka’s bowling to rack up an imposing 580 for 4 declared on second day of the second Test on Saturday.

The vacationer had responded with 26-2 by the shut of play at Wellington’s Basin Reserve and confronted an uphill battle to keep away from being swept within the two-match collection after dropping the primary Test by two wickets in Christchurch on Monday.

Williamson additionally scored a century, his twenty seventh in Tests, within the second innings of that match. But Saturday’s magnificent effort within the firm of Nicholls was a completely totally different order of dominance.

After a rain-disrupted day one, Williamson resumed on 26 not out along with his nation 155-2 and barely put a foot fallacious till he holed out within the deep within the late afternoon with 215 runs to his title.

The 32-year-old turned the primary New Zealand batters to attain 8,000 Test runs as he marched to his sixth double century, pounding 23 fours and a few sixes within the 296-ball innings.

Nicholls pillaged runs at a barely decrease charge on the different finish as he labored his manner out of a current kind hunch along with his highest Test rating of 200 not out. It was the primary time two New Zealand batters had scored double centuries in a single innings.

Sri Lanka just isn’t the primary group to remorse profitable the toss and selecting to bowl on an obvious inexperienced prime solely to observe the Black Caps batting for a few days.

Daryl Mitchell scored a quickfire 17 and Tom Blundell 17 not out after Williamson’s departure as New Zealand swung the bat to inflate its tally earlier than the declaration.

Seamer Lahiru Kumara (0-164) of the visiting bowlers suffered probably the most, however Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha have been nicely into three figures within the debit column.

Matt Henry wasted little time in exhibiting them methods to bowl on the observe, tempting opener Oshada Fernando right into a push on the ball, which Blundell wolfed up behind the wickets.

Doug Bracewell then celebrated his return to Test cricket after a spot of practically seven years with the wicket of Kusal Mendis, who departed for a duck after Doug Conway took a superb catch at level.

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who was 16 not out, and nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya, unbeaten on 4, will resume on Sunday with Sri Lanka a hefty 554 runs in arrears.