Sri Lanka vs New Zealand

10.09am  Well then, the first innings has flown by and the momentum has shifted back and forth through and through. Spinners have found a good purchase from this deck once the ball has gotten old. And that's where the Sri Lankan spin attack would become effective if they get their lines and lengths correct. With the likes of Hasaranga, Asalanka, and Liyanage in the ranks, it is not going to be an easy chase for the Kiwi batters. An all-important run chase is up next shortly. Do not go anywhere!

10.08am  Coming into the final ten overs, Janith Liyanage was settled at one end, while Chamindu took his own time to get going. The two formed a good little partnership with Liyanage doing the most heavy lifting with the bat. But it was Wanindu Hasaranga who attempted to provide that final surge for the tourists with Liyanage notching up a crucial half-century which propelled Sri Lanka to post a challenging total on the board.

10.08am  Sri Lanka's position further got worrisome with the re-introduction of Matt Henry who struck quickly and removed well-settled Kamindu Mendis. With both set batters in the sheds in the span of just a few deliveries, Sri Lanka had to start from scratch. Pathum Nissanka, who got retired hurt earlier, came out to bat again to bail Sri Lanka from a serious position. Still hobbling to run, Nissanka struck a few lusty blows to retrieve the run rate before eventually perishing. In this phase, Sri Lanka lost three wickets and scored a handy 52 runs.

10.07am  The Mendis alliance built a strong resilient partnership and paced their innings pretty well, with Kusal attacking while Kamindu played anchor. Though Kusal reached his fifty swiftly, New Zealand's spinners found grip with the aging ball, striking twice in quick succession. Sri Lanka lost momentum, slipping from 156/1 to 160/3 as Asalanka fell for a duck. Sri Lanka, on the back of that 87-run stand for the second wicket, added 47 runs in those ten overs but at the cost of two crucial wickets.

10.07am  This little phase was cashed on well by the Kiwi bowlers as Santner and Smith both stemmed the flow of runs for a bit. Sri Lanka had to rebuild during this phase. Both Kamindu and Kusal Mendis neutralized the threat of a collapse and knocked around to rotate the strike, also finding a few boundaries eventually. Having notched up 69 off the first ten overs, the tourists cruised at a gentle pace and mustered up 46 runs in the next ten overs. New Zealand had only used four bowlers until this point.

10.06am  Sri Lanka started well on a bouncy pitch, with Pathum Nissanka timing his shots perfectly while Avishka Fernando struggled for rhythm at the other end. Despite decent bowling spells from Henry and O'Rourke, Nissanka kept finding boundaries and reached his fifty as well. But, unfortunately for him, he got retired hurt just after that. The momentum sharply shifted when Nathan Smith dismissed the Avishka Fernando sooner who looked a bit rusty throughout his inning.

10.02am  A strong finish for Sri Lanka towards the backend and they would be delighted to get past 290. They have managed to squeeze out 76 runs in the last ten overs. A job well done by the lower order that came to the rescue under pressure. For New Zealand, they leaked too many runs in the death overs and couldn't put on a lid and run through the Sri Lankan tail.

9.59am  Eshan Malinga is in at number 10.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Low full toss on middle and leg, Janith Liyanage flicks this half-heartedly and the ball travels straight at one of the finest fielders across the globe in Glenn Phillips stationed at the deep mid-wicket fence.
Janith Liyanage c G Phillips b M Henry 53 (52b 3x4 2x6)