Sri Lanka Cricket team has taken a 1-0 lead by defeating New Zealand by six wickets in the first match of the two-match Test series played at Galle on Sunday. On the fifth day, the host team registered a resounding victory thanks to captain Dimuth Karunaratne’s 122 runs. Karunaratne was also chosen as the ‘Man of the Match’ for his captaincy innings. Sri Lanka started playing ahead of their Saturday score of 133/0 on the fifth day. Openers Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne took the team’s score to 161. William Somerville gave the first blow to the hosts by sending Thirimanne (64) in the 11th over of the day.
In the very next over, Ajaz Patel dismissed Kusal Mendis. Mendis scored just 10 runs in six balls. All-rounder Angelo Mathews stood at one end and the captain of the hosts, Dimuth Karunaratne hit the ninth century of his Test career. This was the first time Karunaratne scored a century in the fourth innings of a match. Fast bowler Tim Southee showed the path of pavilion to Karunaratne (122). From here the hosts needed only 50 runs to win.
However, Kusal Perera did not let the New Zealand bowlers dominate his team. Perera was dismissed on the eighth ball of his innings but he used the review system and survived. After one over, the visiting team appealed for a lbw but umpire denied and New Zealand took a review. This time also the decision was in favor of Perera. Perera (23) was dismissed by Trent Boult for a total of 250 but by then it was too late and Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva took the hosts to victory. Mathews 28 and Di Silva are 14 not out.
Sri Lanka is the 2nd team to register point in the World Test Championship after Australia who won the 1st Ashes test against England, but Sri Lanka now lead the points table over Australia.