Herath five-for hands Sri Lanka clean sweep

Sri Lanka 416 (Samaraweera 143, Jayawardene 92, Patel 4-78) and 311 for 5 dec (Sangakkara 109, Jayawardene 96) beat New Zealand 234 (Taylor 81, Herath 3-70, Muralitharan 3-71) and 397 (Vettori 140, Oram 56, Herath 5-139) by 96 runs

Daniel Vettori's innings panned more deliveries than any New Zealand batsman this Test © Associated Press

Sri Lanka were expected to wrap up victory early on the final day, but had to wait until the 68th over of the day to seal a 2-0 sweep and cement their place at No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings. They had New Zealand six wickets down for 182 at stumps on day four, but were thoroughly frustrated by a century stand between Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram in a cracking morning session. When Tillakaratne Dilshan snapped an excellent 124-run partnership by dismissing Oram two minutes before lunch, it seemed likely that victory was around the corner, but Vettori found an able ally in Iain O'Brien and the pair added 69 in 78 gut-wrenching minutes.

Like in the morning, Sri Lanka struck shortly before the interval and tea was pushed back by half an hour. The last wicket to fall was Vettori, excellently held at deep square leg by a tumbling Rangana Herath - who took five wickets - and New Zealand had finally been dismissed for 397, the highest fourth-innings total at the SSC. They were owned for the better part of four days, but fought back credibly on the fifth. It was not enough, for the damage was irreparable, and Sri Lanka finished deserved winners.

With his back to the wall, needing to bat three sessions, Vettori dipped into his reservoir of 94 Tests and summoned immense concentration to survive two of them. He helped buy time after a delayed second session - owing to a brief but fierce Colombo downpour - even as Muttiah Muralitharan returned to the field and had Jeetan Patel caught sweeping to short leg. He received tremendous support from O'Brien, who played an innings unlike any he has played in the past, plodding 75 balls for a career-best 12. There were plenty of shouts for lbws and close catches, and the umpires were tested as much as the batsmen, but O'Brien was resolute.

Vettori pulled and swept boundaries off Murali and Herath to reach a most appreciable century, one that put his entire batting unit to shame. His shot selection and confidence were amazing, supple wrists and dancing feet complimenting a fierce determination. Kumar Sangakkara spread his field as singles and doubles ticked away, but the pair played on. Dammika Prasad returned and O'Brien ducked and swayed, while Vettori pulled for four between two fielders.

Smart Stats Mahela Jayawardene became just the fourth player, and the first Asian, to score two nineties in a Test. New Zealand's 397 is their fourth-highest score in the fourth innings of a Test. It's also the highest fourth-innings score in Sri Lanka. New Zealand batted 123.5 overs in the fourth innings, which ranks No.4 in the list of most overs faced by a team while chasing in Sri Lanka. It's also the second-most faced by New Zealand in away Tests since 2007. Daniel Vettori's 140 is the fourth-highest score by a No.8 batsman in Tests. Vettori scored 55 of his runs (in 89 balls) off Rangana Herath, who took a five-for. He was aggressive against Thilan Thushara (23 in 29), Dammika Prasad (25 off 21) and Muttiah Muralitharan (28 in 36). Jacob Oram played out 37 Herath deliveries for 9 runs while Iain O'Brien batted for 40 balls against him, without scoring a run.

Vettori was always looking for doubles to get back on strike and singles to retain strike, and with some exceptional judgment and able running, managed it. Tired fielders often lugged themselves towards the ball and runs became easy. With each ball O'Brien patted back or left, and each run scampered, New Zealand's belief soared. But Herath ended O'Brien's stubborn resistance 12 minutes before tea. O'Brien lunged at one turning away and immediately walked off without waiting for the umpire's verdict. In walked a notorious No. 11, Chris Martin, who played 13 balls before Vettori was dismissed for 140. He has been a hero all tour and today his innings panned more deliveries than any New Zealand batsman this Test.

Beginning the day with victory 312 runs away and six down, New Zealand were not expected to pull off any miracles. But with their backs to the wall, needing to bat three sessions, Vettori and Oram turned the heat on the hosts, at times defiantly and at times with fortitude, thanks to Daryl Harper and some shoddy fielding. Oram batted with assurance and the determination of a player who has started to return to form after a lean spell - his batting had been poor all tour. His sweep to Ajantha Mendis in Galle and reverse-sweep in the first innings here had been criticised. This morning he continued from last evening, presenting steadfast defence and judgment against the spinners. He shunned the bent-knee shots and refrained some sweeping and lapping the spinners, which had led to his decline earlier.

He had a slice of luck, however. Prasad bowled a good first spell should have had Oram on 36 when he rapped him flush in front of middle and leg, but Harper turned it down. Prasad thoroughly improved on his performance in the first innings and got the ball to swing away from the left-handers after pitching much closer to the batsmen. In one frustrating over he got Oram to inside-edge to fine leg and Vettori to drag onto his front boot and then edge between the slip fielders, who failed to react. There were other occasions where Oram attempted forcing drives through the off side but inside-edged past his stumps. Still, he was skillful enough to rough it out.

Vettori was comfortable against pace and spin, and worked the ball off the square mostly on the back foot initially, before gaining the confidence to reach out and drive. Thilan Thushara pitched the ball up but didn't always make the batsmen play; on a slow track, Vettori had ample time to work the ball square. Thushara didn't test Vettori with a single yorker and too often strayed down the pads to Oram, who played come fierce clips. In his first spell, Oram took 15 runs off 22 balls and Vettori 10 off 16.

Oram and Vettori played exceedingly well but you expected the Sri Lankans to be sharper. Herath failed to collect a flat throw at the stumps with Vettori short and later reacted late to a top-edge off the same batsman. The second edge Vettori steered off Prasad went smack between first and second slip and nobody moved. Even if such risky shots were not necessary, they seemed to prevent the tension from bogging Vettori down. Rarely were there scoreless periods, which can often build up anxiety. Vettori got to his half-century first, off 77 balls and in 111 minutes. Oram followed with his first significant contribution all tour but, after 173 minutes of tremendous application, punched Dilshan to Sangakkara cover for 56. At the other end Vettori sank to his knees. It was a crushing blow.

Vettori lost Oram before lunch and Patel soon after, yet batted on to a brave fourth century as the pressure mounted on his dependable shoulders. Ultimately, his brilliance was not enough to hold out for a famous draw.

Jayawardene and Samaraweera grind New Zealand - 2nd Test, SSC

Sri Lanka 262 for 3 (Mahela Jayawardene 79*, Samaraweera 78*) v New Zealand

	Mahela Jayawardene's knock was a typical effort, full of careful leaves and text book pushes to the off side played with perpendicular front elbow and resourceful tucks off his pads © AFP
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For the second Test running, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera batted with a purity of purpose, which New Zealand have been unable to produce all tour, to help the hosts share the first day's honours. The truncated first session was shared by both sides, the second saw Kumar Sangakkara try and dominate with a sweep-fuelled 50 before he became Daniel Vettori's 300th Test victim, and in the third Sri Lanka fully assumed control as Jayawardene and Samaraweera put together an unspectacular alliance of 147 that chipped away at New Zealand's spirits.

A sparse crowd at the SSC witnessed a slow-paced, gritty battle between bat and ball leading into tea. Neither Sri Lanka nor New Zealand really took control on a slow surface and under constantly threatening clouds, but the final session solidified the hosts' position. In the first session Sri Lanka scored 62 and lost one wicket; in the second they made 83 and lost two; between tea and stumps they scored 116 without loss. New Zealand are still one wicket away from an inexperienced lower middle order but need something spectacular tomorrow because conventional wisdom says that day two is best for batting at this venue.

Jayawardene batted as if he expected to score another century at the SSC. It was a typical effort, full of careful leaves and textbook pushes to the off side played with perpendicular front elbow and resourceful tucks off his pads. No frills, just obstinate, indomitable, remorseless batting.

By the time Samaraweera walked out, Jayawardene had eased himself in; all he needed was someone to reciprocate. They blocked their way through the start of their association with hardly a shot in anger. Yet as he settled in, Samaraweera began to use his feet well and looked to score off Jeetan Patel. Jayawardene waved the bat in acknowledgement of his half-century and then prepared for his 118th delivery.

The pair stepped up a gear as they built on their platform. Samaraweera twice hammered Patel for fours and Jayawardene paddled Jacob Oram to fine leg and then played a pearling drive on the up off the same bowler. Samaraweera raised his half-century in a Jesser Ryder over in which he clipped, drove and edged 13 runs. Sri Lanka meandered along at a leisurely pace.

In the last session, with the sun out and a pleasing breeze blowing, batting was easy. Vettori used pace and spin at the same time and later brought himself on with the new ball, but a flat pitch and twinkle-toed batting from Jayawardene and Samaraweera ensured the ball was worked all across the field. Vettori operated with a slip and short leg with spin, for the most part, but put only one man out for the seamers. He could perhaps have been more productive with an inside-out field when the clouds passed over in the afternoon. Overall, batting together in Tests, Jayawardene and Samaraweera have scored 2132 runs.

Once again Vettori was New Zealand's best bowler, maintaining a consistent line and length to take 2 for 65 in his 30 overs. There wasn't much bite in the track, which offered slow spin, and Vettori had to rely on flight and variation to test the batsmen. He was not given much support, though, by his spinner partner Patel, who the batsmen were able to drive off both front and back foot with ease. Patel rarely threatened as he was a bit flat and frequently dropped short. Oram once more failed to make a mark.

Earlier in the day, both teams had fought for a truncated first session's honour, which was evenly shared. In their first spells, Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien operated on two lengths, back of a length and full outside off stump, to keep the openers quiet. Martin was making the ball move late and O'Brien repeatedly tried to extract lift from the surface. It set the tone for Vettori.

Either side of the lunch interval, Vettori bowled 17 unchanged overs with a slip and short leg throughout. In that spell, he took the two wickets needed to reach 300. Vettori's introduction in the 11th over, from around the stumps, was welcomed by an announcement over the PA system that he was two short of 300 wickets. Wicket No. 299 came immediately, when Vettori drifted his second delivery away from a bemused Tharanga Paranativana, who edged to slip for 19. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara took a few chances against Vettori, frequently trying to get under his skin by sweeping, and denied him the landmark wicket going into lunch.

Dilshan fell early in the session, popping a leading edge back to O'Brien. Sangakkara had a plan against Vettori, perhaps because he'd heard him say how sweeping unsettled him the most. He swept two of his first five deliveries from Vettori for four and showed a preference to get on the front foot, looking to drive anything on the fuller side. Most of Sangakkara's innings was against Vettori's bowling: 65 of his 96 deliveries in fact. There was a man at deep midwicket and long leg yet Sangakkara went for his sweeps.

He stepped out twice to club Vettori over mid-on for four, but fell to a slog-sweep to Oram in the deep for 50. With that, Vettori became the first left-arm spinner to take 300 wickets. He raised his arms and allowed himself a smile, nothing fancy. From there on the lack of support told. It is the story of Vettori's career.

Solid Sri Lanka remain favourites - Sri Lanka v New Zealand, 2nd Test, SSC

Match facts

August 26-30, 2009
Start time 10.00am (04.30 GMT)

The Big Picture

	Daryl Tuffey is in line for his first Test match in more than five years © AFP
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Over the past year, debate about the top teams in Test cricket has usually centred on three teams: Australia, South Africa and India. Sri Lanka are almost never mentioned but they now find themselves at No .2, thanks to a superb record over the past three-odd years during which they have lost only one series. To remain second, though, they need to defeat New Zealand (who haven't won any series against strong opposition in the same period) in Colombo.

After a shaky start in the first Test, Sri Lanka were handed the advantage by newly promoted opener Tillkaratne Dilshan's counter-attacking 92. A solid performance from the middle-order strengthened their grip, and New Zealand were left to play catch-up for the rest of the game. Sri Lanka's bowling unit, while not at its best, was disciplined and didn't dish up too many freebies.

In contrast New Zealand's bowlers leaked runs, with fast bowler Iain O'Brien and spinner Jeetan Patel having a particularly hard time. Captain Daniel Vettori has stressed the need for cutting off the runs and forcing the batsmen into risks. He will have the luxury of fielding a full-strength side after all his team-mates recovered from the stomach bug which laid them low midway through the first Test.

At a ground which is something of a fortress for Sri Lanka, the visitors need big performances from their two most talented batsmen, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor, if they are to make a fight of it. Else, the pressure will start to mount on coach, Andy Moles (who along with Vettori is now in the selection panel), under whom New Zealand have yet to win a Test.

Test form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka - WDWWD
New Zealand - LDDLD

Watch out for ...

New Zealand's opener Tim McIntosh isn't likely to provide a dashing start like Dilshan but his patient vigil in the first innings - sticking around for nearly five hours -was just what a fragile top order needed. Importantly, he negotiated the spin threat of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis well.

Thilan Samaraweera is another batsman who isn't likely to set the pulse racing, but he is the second highest run-getter in Tests this year. A big century in the first innings at Galle put Sri Lanka in complete control, and when they were looking for quick runs in the second innings he smashed two sixes, as many as he had in 82 previous Test knocks.

Team news

A hamstring injury has ruled Angelo Mathews out of the match, and Sri Lanka will replace him with either batsman Chamara Kapugedera or left-arm spinner Rangana Herath. Kumar Sangakkara hasn't ruled out a triple-spin attack, but that would mean a very long tail for Sri Lanka. Opener Tharanga Paranavitana's place is also under scrutiny after his twin failures in Galle.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tharanga Paranavitana/ Malinda Warnapura, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 7 Chamara Kapugedera/Rangana Herath, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

After O'Brien's forgettable performance in Galle, his place could be taken by fast bowler Daryl Tuffey, who last played a Test in 2004.

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Daniel Flynn, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jesse Ryder, 6 Brendon McCullum (wk), 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Jeetan Patel, 10 Iain O'Brien/Daryl Tuffey, 11 Chris Martin.

Pitch and conditions

Sangakkara's statement, "We would love to play three spinners on this track," sums up how this pitch is expected to play. Traditionally, though, it isn't a pitch that turns into a minefield; in the four of previous six Tests teams have ended the final day on 391 for 4, 250 for 3, 474, and 337 for 4.

The weather forecast for the game isn't too good, with heavy rain expected through the week.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have lost only one of their last fifteen Tests at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground
• After going past Derek Underwood's haul in the first Test, Daniel Vettori is the leading wicket-taker among left-arm spinners. He needs two more to complete the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets
• Mahela Jayawardene's previous seven innings at the SSC: 82, 374, 127, 195, 136, 79, 2

Murali and Thushara hand Sri Lanka the advantage

New Zealand 281 for 8 (McIntosh 69, Vettori 33*, O'Brien 3*, Muralitharan 3-66, Thushara 3-80) trail Sri Lanka 452 by 171 runs

Tim McIntosh struck six fours and a six during his gritty knock © Associated Press

After heavy morning rain had caused a 90-minute delay, Sri Lanka's bowlers chipped away relentlessly, whittling out six wickets before bad light took the players off with New Zealand having just avoided the follow-on target. Thilan Thushara and Muttiah Muralitharan were Sri Lanka's bowling heroes, while Tim McIntosh, who faced 226 balls for his 69, led the resistance for the visitors. Along the way, Murali passed Shane Warne for the most maidens bowled in Test cricket (1761), and New Zealand were left to rely on their allrounders to take them past the follow-on target.

When Jacob Oram was wrongly given out caught off the pad soon after tea, New Zealand were still in danger of being asked to bat again. But Jesse Ryder, who had got going with a couple of emphatic pulls off Thushara, and Daniel Vettori staved off the spin threat and when the new ball was finally taken after 97 overs, a cover-drive from Ryder ensured that there would be no prospect of an innings defeat.

He went soon after, bowled playing an airy drive at Nuwan Kulasekara, and there was a stroke of fortune for New Zealand just before stumps when Daniel Vettori was palpably plumb to a Murali doosra. Everyone but the umpire was convinced, and Vettori could have been excused a shy grin as he walked off for the day.

McIntosh and Ross Taylor had batted through most of the afternoon, long periods of stolid defence interspersed with moments of real anxiety. McIntosh survived a couple of vociferous leg-before shouts from Murali, while Taylor was twice reprieved, on 15 and 27. Mahela Jayawardene couldn't get his hands to a low chance at slip off Ajantha Mendis, and he was again the injured party as Nuwan Kulasekara spilled a slog-sweep.

It was a stroke that Taylor had employed earlier, with one soaring over the rope at square leg, but by and large, attacking strokes were few and far between. McIntosh struck one superb straight six off Mendis, but neither batsman was remotely assured against Murali's wiles, especially with the ball angling in from round the wicket.

The two spinners bowled in tandem for most of the session, but it was only when Mendis was taken off after a 14-over spell that Sri Lanka broke through. Taylor hung his bat out at one from Thushara, and Prasanna Jayawardene did the rest. Soon after, McIntosh's luck ran out. This time, the leg-before shout was marginal, on or just outside the line of off stump, but after a long think, Daryl Harper raised the finger. When McCullum then chopped Thushara onto his stumps, New Zealand were in desperate trouble.

They had managed fine in the abbreviated first session as McIntosh, troubled periodically by the short ball, gritted his way to a half-century. Patel provided stout resistance as the bowlers toiled hard without reward. Murali bowled the first over and was then taken off, and it was Thushara who asked all the initial questions. Patel was sound and confident in defence, nudging the odd single, while McIntosh left the ball alone more often than not. Against the short ball though, he was in all sorts of strife, getting hit first on the shoulder and then flush on the helmet.

Patel's innings was part grit and part good fortune. There was one lovely drive through the covers off Thushara, but it was followed by an awkward shot that flew past the slips as he sought to duck under a bouncer. McIntosh survived a huge shout from Mendis, with the umpire perhaps thinking there was an inside edge, and it looked like it was going to be New Zealand's morning as a rare full toss was pummelled away to take McIntosh to his half-century. But then Murali struck, trapping Patel in front after a 57-ball 26, and it was left to Taylor and McIntosh to rebuild. But so slow and painstaking was the progress, with Murali putting together 29 uninterrupted overs for just 54 runs, that it was only a matter of time before Sri Lankan pressure told.

Sri Lanka v Pakistan 2009 - only Twenty20, Colombo