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Thursday March 28, 2024

Williamson, Watling record smashes Sri Lanka hopes

WELLINGTON: A world record sixth-wicket partnership of 365 by Kane Williamson and B.J. Watling, who both posted career bests, slammed the door on Sri Lanka in the second Test in Wellington on Tuesday.

Williamson´s unbeaten 242, with Watling not out 142, rescued New Zealand from a deep hole and carried them to 524-5 declared in their second innings.

Sri Lanka were left

By AFP
January 06, 2015
WELLINGTON: A world record sixth-wicket partnership of 365 by Kane Williamson and B.J. Watling, who both posted career bests, slammed the door on Sri Lanka in the second Test in Wellington on Tuesday.

Williamson´s unbeaten 242, with Watling not out 142, rescued New Zealand from a deep hole and carried them to 524-5 declared in their second innings.

Sri Lanka were left facing a 390-run final-day target on a ground where the record for a successful fourth innings chase is 277-3 set by Pakistan 11 years ago.

At stumps they were 45-1 with Kaushal Silva on 20 and Dhammika Prasad on one.

Dimuth Karunaratne was out for 17 four overs before the close, the only dismissal of the day.

With wickets hard to come by on a flat track, and Sri Lanka holding middle-order strength led by Kumar Sangakkara, a draw seemed the likely outcome. This would give New Zealand the two-Test series 1-0.

Williamson and Watling came together as New Zealand´s last recognised batsmen with the score on 159-5, a perilous 24-run lead. They methodically ground the Sri Lankan bowlers into submission over the following eight hours.

New Zealand declared 13 runs ahead of the previous sixth-wicket record of 352 set by Watling with Brendon McCullum in similar Test-saving circumstances against India a year ago.

Then, as now, New Zealand were fighting to claim the series after winning the first Test.

Sri Lanka squandered several opportunities to break the partnership and regain control, and paid a heavy price for sloppy fielding.

Williamson offered four chances -- dropped by Rangana Herath on 29, dropped by Nuwan Pradeep on 60 and dropped by Prasanna Jayawardene on 104 before Jayawardene missed a blatant stumping opportunity on 233.

Williamson´s unbeaten 242, the product of more than 10 hours at the crease, gave the 24-year-old his ninth Test century and the seventh highest score by a New Zealander.

After cautiously steering New Zealand into a commanding position, Williamson opened up towards the end of the innings, scoring 52 of the 79 runs added in the 15 overs before the declaration.

In his marathon innings he faced 438 deliveries and scored 18 fours as Williamson steered New Zealand to safety. Watling proved a sound ally at the other end as he brought up his fourth Test century. He had nine fours and a six in his 142.(AFP)