Williamson, Nicholls hit double tons as NZ punish Sri Lanka

Agencies Published March 19, 2023

NEW ZEALAND batter Kane Williamson (L) celebrates with team-mate Henry Nicholls after completing his double century in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.—AFP

WELLINGTON: Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls both scored double centuries and shared a partnership of 363 as New Zealand flayed Sri Lanka’s bowling to rack up an imposing 580-4 declared on the second day of the second Test on Saturday.

The tourists had responded with 26-2 by the close of play at Basin Reserve and face an uphill battle to avoid being swept in the two-match series after losing the first Test by two wickets in Christchurch on Monday.

Williamson also scored a century, his 27th in Tests, in the second innings of that match, but Saturday’s magnificent effort in the company of Nicholls was an entirely different order of dominance.

After a rain-disrupted day one, Williamson resumed on 26 not out with his country 155-2 and barely put a foot wrong until he holed out in the deep in the late afternoon with 215 runs to his name.

The 32-year-old became the first New Zealand batsman to score 8,000 Test runs as he marched to his sixth double-century, pounding 23 fours and a couple of sixes in the 296-ball innings.

Nicholls pillaged runs at a slightly lower rate at the other end as he worked his way out of a recent form slump with his highest Test score of 200 not out. It was the first time two New Zealand batsmen had scored double centuries in one innings.

His aggressive 240-ball knock, which featured four sixes, represented a remarkable return to form for the left-hander, whose place in the team was under pressure after failing to reach 40 in his 15 previous innings.

Nicholls said he was aware of criticism of his ongoing selection but said he was made to feel comfortable by support from his teammates and coach Gary Stead.

“Everyone in the group’s been great and you really feel that support,” he said. “For me, it was just about trusting that I had done it before. It hasn’t happened as much as I’d like in the last period. Now the challenge is doing it again knowing that the blueprint is there.”

Sri Lanka are not the first team to regret winning the toss and choosing to bowl on an apparent green top only to watch the Black Caps batting for a couple of days.

Daryl Mitchell scored a quickfire 17 and Tom Blundell 17 not out after Williamson’s departure as New Zealand swung the bat to inflate their tally before the declaration.

Seamer Lahiru Kumara (0-164) of the visiting bowlers suffered the most but Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha were both also well into three figures in the debit column.

Sri Lanka spinner Dhananjaya de Silva said the tourists were guilty of allowing the double centurions too much leeway.

“Obviously Kane and Henry batted very well. We have to be at our best when we’re facing these players but we missed our lengths,” he said.

De Silva said Sri Lanka hadn’t given up on squaring the series although he conceded it will be very difficult to force a victory.

“We’re not playing for a draw, we’re playing for a win. “So we have to bat for at least one and a half days. We’ll see what will happen,” he said.

Their response began poorly.

Matt Henry removed opener Oshada Fernando for six before fellow-seamer Doug Bracewell dismissed Kusal Mendis without scoring via a spectacular catch at point from Devon Conway.

It came from Bracewell’s third ball of the match in what is his first Test appearance for more than six years.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND (1st innings):

T. Latham c Jayasuriya b Rajitha21

D. Conway c & b de Silva78

K. Williamson c (sub) b Jayasuriya215

H. Nicholls not out200

D. Mitchell c & b Rajitha17

T. Blundell not out17

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-17, NB-8, W-5)32

TOTAL (for four wkts declared; 123 overs)580

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-87 (Latham), 2-118 (Conway), 3-481 (Williamson), 4-530 (Mitchell).