New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Wellington

New Zealand:
TWM Latham, HD Rutherford, KS Williamson, LRPL Taylor, BB McCullum*, JDS Neesham, BJ Watling†, MD Craig, DAJ Bracewell, TG Southee, TA Boult

Sri Lanka:
JK Silva, FDM Karunaratne, KC Sangakkara, HDRL Thirimanne, AD Mathews*, LD Chandimal, HAPW Jayawardene†, HMRKB Herath, KTGD Prasad,
N Pradeep, RAS Lakmal

SL won the toss and have sent NZ into bat at the Basin.

Pitch looks quite green, but doesn't seem to be seaming or kicking.

God I'm enjoying this life. Late nights cricket afternoons.... Might have to be dragged back to work.

Decent crowd at the Basin Reserve, will probably near capacity when everybody's in. Been a good summer for test cricket crowd wise, which can only be a good thing.

Just hope the weather/light can hold out for most of this one. It always looks ominous there.

NZ were sailing along fine at 141/2 but then 2 almost identical wickets, both chopped on to the leg stump from Taylor (35) and now McCullum (0) off the bowling of Pradeep and Lakmal respectively. 142/4

Total capitulation from the Kiwis. All out 221.

12,000 Test runs for Kumar Sangakkara.

Meanwhile, a bit of an implosion from SL. 29/3 after 13 overs.

Maybe 221 was not a bad total after all.
Doug Bracewell causing some damage taking 3/23 and SL now reeling at 78/5 at stumps.
SL trailing by 143 runs with 5 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.

Sangakkara is the key for Lanka. All down to him to bring his side back into the game after the bowlers did a good job.

50 up for Sanga. SL trail by only 107 runs now.

Sangakkara and Chandimal building steadily.  Deficit down to 62 at lunch.

SL have just now taken the 1st innings lead. 223/6

Sangakkara's 38th Test century... what a player.
He's pulled them back from the precipice in the last 4 hours or so with the assistance of Chandimal who made 67.

200 for Sangakkara in SL's total of 356... a lead of 135 runs.

Hmmm.....amazing...looks like Mccullum got possessed by the spirit of Dhoni

Lanka have been giving a good account of themselves after Eng now here. Fought hard in 2nd inning of first test and what a rear-guard here

Sangakkara - best batsman of modern times

Just watched highlights of Sangakkara's innings on Sky. Always hard to get a proper feel of a match through highlights but I couldn't disagree with Bob Willis' assessment that it was ''a truly magnificent innings''.

The respect in which Sangakkara is held was noticeable by the number of New Zealand players who came over to shake his hand after he was dismissed and as he walked to the pavilion. Credit to them for that which makes a healthy contrast to some of the other current antics in Test cricket, eh Loaded Dog?

Precisely, Guildford. Precisely.

I can only concur with Olly. Greatest of his generation, and you when you include the fact that he can don the gloves, possibly top ten all time. Has all the shots, the temperament to succeed in all formats, the ability to carry the gloves, very rarely do I wish any player was South African (currently, only Clarke, Kohli, and uh Kemar Roach) If only he didn't wear that stupid cycling helmet.

still batting left for NZ...Willamson and Watling have come to the rescue...they also have Mark Craig who is a very useful lower order batsman, and Southee who is also a good no9

NZ at 253/5 have a 118-run lead coming into Day 4.

Williamson and Watling have so far put on a 94-run partnership. They'll need to push on though to ensure Sanga & Co. have a sizeable run chase and prevent SL from levelling the Series.

Ton up for Kane Williamson, BJ on 75.

NZ now lead by 175 runs.

Now 359/5, a lead of 224, with Williamson on 150 and Watling on 81.

Not too many more needed, I guess, before New Zealand become favourites ....

Another intriguing Test with certain brilliant individual contributions.

100 for Watling now too. Williamson heading closer to 200 runs.

NZ 435/5 with a 300 run lead now.

3000 Test runs for Williamson as he moves onto 208*
Watling on 124*
NZ are now 469/5 with a lead of 334 runs.

NZ declare at 524/5. Williamson 242* and Watling 142*
SL require 390 runs to win. 17 overs left in this last session today.

5 down at lunch including Sangakkara, given out caught behind on review.

After the twists and turns already throughout this Test you shouldn't rule anything out but I still fancy New Zealand to take the remaining 5 wickets in the last 2 sessions ....

Magnificent victory by NZ. Williamson's and Watling's heroics and then a vital contribution by Craig after lunch.

In years gone by NZ would've folded in that second innings and handed the opposition an innings victory.

Fantastic win for your blokes, kia.

I was at the SCG today hanging around the back of the members bar during a break. A couple of people were glued to the screen with wide smiles. They were 5 wickets or so down. A couple of hours later when I passed by the TV the channel had changed... so I knew it was good news for NZ.

That 47 all out was just the tonic to fix the problems in New Zealand cricket, ey Kia?

That score sadly wasn't as isolated as I'd like it to be but it was definitely a low point, mate.

When the current coach came in and Taylor was stripped of the captaincy it didn't look good at all. How the critics have been silenced and how this side has brought back renewed enthusiasm for the long and proper version of the game.

The scourge that is 20 20 and the punches above their weight in the one day version hid the woeful state of test cricket in NZ.

They are not world beaters by any stretch but there is genuine hunger for the tests against England and Australia. They are huge challenges but the fact that there is genuine enthusiasm to see how those series pan out over the next couple of years show just how far this test side has come.

In the past this side folded like falling dominoes. Now contributions from a wider range of individuals show just how important it is for a team to be able to spread its net as wide as possible to snare runs or wickets.

Combine that with a captain looking for results - he could've let Williamson get 250 or even 300 and Watling a double ton but there was hunger to get a few overs at Sri Lanka before the close of play on the fourth day and psychologically I think that wicket weighed on Sri Lanka - and it's a compelling mix.

Add in a fast bowler like Milne and slap Rutherford silly every time he gets out after a start and add in a spinner like Sodhi and this is a more complete side than the 80s.

Yes, that turned out to be a good declaration yesterday. Williamson and Watling were so in control and could have gone on to get even bigger scores.

I was wondering where Sodhi was... I like the look of him. He did well in the UAE didn't he?

Yeah, much the same with the West Indies. Winning the WT20 and winning an ODI here and there has hid the fact that they simply can't win a coin toss at Test level. With New Zealand, I think a lot of your lads have taken pride in their abilities, and potential following a rather difficult period. A guy like Trent Boult has matured into one of the supreme bowlers in world cricket, while Southee has continued what has been a very positive graph of improvements. You're probably not quite there yet, but I back you guys to be quite competitive against anybody you'll face. Looking at your Future Tours Program, you've got two tests away vs England, three away vs Australia, big series'.

Congrats to NZ...getting Sanga out early was always going to be the key

Controversial circumstances with his dismissal. Could've been a grasshopper farting that provided the evidence for overturning the umpire's decision.

Respect to both sides for the spirit in which the series was played and for Mathews being generously philosophical about a crucial turning point.

he did nick it, heard it live, and there was enough evidence that he hit it, therefore it was out.

Note to self. Never burgle your house. You hear everything.

Mighty fine turn-around from New Zealand. Their bowling has serious quality in Southee and Boult, and in the batting department, Kane Williamson continues to mature, and McCullum and Taylor are getting more consistent. BJ Watling is a real fighter too. In young Tom Latham, they at last have a decent opener. Wagner and Bracewell are good backup seamers, and Craig and Sodhi are chipping in with some OK spin. Another good opener, a consistent middle order batsman (even better if he can bowl), this side can go places.......

Craig's a good spinner, wouldn't expect Sodhi to be around for long..goes for too many runs, and dosen't take enough wickets

I'd give Sodhi more chances. He's still got lots of cricket ahead of him. I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.