New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Day 3: Bouncer Barrage Has Kiwis on Course
There is one certainty with the second Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka: The match won't end in a draw.
Day 3 in Hamilton saw 16 wickets fall. By the end of play, hosts New Zealand were 142 for five in their second innings, meaning they will return on Monday needing a further 47 to complete a 2-0 series sweep.
Sri Lanka gave themselves hope with two late wickets before stumps, but Kane Williamson's unbeaten 78 makes the Black Caps favourites to wrap up victory. According to AccuWeather, rain won't get involved.
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The tourists only have themselves to blame for their sticky situation. They lost 10 wickets for 62 runs, slipping from 71 without loss to 133 all out.
Here Bleacher Report picks out some of the talking points from an action-packed Sunday at Seddon Park.
The Bouncer Barrage
Offering both pace and bounce for the seam bowlers, the pitch in Hamilton has caught everyone out. Well, almost everyone.
As Alagappan Muthu pointed out in his report for ESPN Cricinfo: "Batsmen were given the luxury to leave balls even on middle stump if the length was short. They wouldn't be bowled, but no one from either side has caught onto that fact. As a result 31 of the 35 wickets in this Test have been out caught."
The high number of catches has been down to the high use of the bouncer.
Raw Sri Lanka seamer Dushmantha Chameera picked up a maiden five-wicket haul on Day 2 using plenty of short stuff in New Zealand's first innings. But he also gave the home side a blueprint for success.
Kiwi Tim Southee claimed four for 26 on Day 3 as the Sri Lankans perished no matter whether they decided to stick or twist.
If their batsmen took on an attacking stroke to a short delivery, they perished in the deep. If survival was their modus operandi, they were snaffled by one of the plethora of close catchers.
New Zealand's bowlers set traps, then waited for Sri Lanka's players to fall into them. They didn't have to wait long.
Short-pitched bowling isn't normally so successful in New Zealand. However, as David Leggat stated in the NZ Herald: "The bowlers on both teams figured out on the fresh pitch, using Patamahoe clay for the first time in a Test, that there was eye-catching bounce to be had, and went to town."
Sri Lanka's Struggles
Having started their second innings with a lead of 55, Sri Lanka managed to carry their advantage to 126 with all 10 wickets still in hand.
Then, as ESPN Cricinfo journalist Andrew Fidel Fernando pointed out on Twitter, all hell broke loose:
Having seized control of the match, they handed the advantage straight back to their opponents.
The carnage included a comical run out, as Chameera and Suranga Lakmal forgot to communicate. The former was caught short by a throw from third man having set off for a run without telling his partner.
The mode of his dismissal didn't help Sri Lanka, but by then, the damage had already been done.
The tourists are going through some growing pains with some of their batsmen. The loss of retired duo Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene leaves inexperienced players with big, big boots to fill.
Per Fernando, Sri Lanka bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake said: "Sure, we've lost great batsmen, but these batsmen have played a reasonable of cricket. Some of them have played over 20 Test matches. There are no excuses."
DRS Confusion
Sri Lanka's cause was not helped by the controversial dismissal of Udara Jayasundera.
Facing just his second delivery, Jayasundera was hurried by a short ball from Doug Bracewell. New Zealand appealed for a catch behind off the glove, but on-field umpire Paul Reiffel gave the batsman not out.
However, after the Kiwis decided to use the Decision Review System (DRS), third umpire Richard Kettleborough felt he saw the glove move as the ball brushed by.
Hot Spot and Snicko technology didn't make it clear, but enough evidence was found for the original decision to be overturned.
Both official Reiffel and batsman Jayasundera were a little bemused at the call.
It became clear after lunch just why the pair had been unimpressed. Per Muthu's report for ESPN Cricinfo, "A split-screen replay indicated the change in direction happened before the ball was anywhere near the glove."
New Zealand know how it feels to be on the wrong end of a DRS call.
On their recent tour of Australia, they believed Nathan Lyon should have been given out by third umpire Nigel Llong during the third Test in Adelaide.
Instead, Lyon was reprieved, allowing him to go on and share in a crucial partnership that changed the course of the match. Australia went on to win, not just the match but also the three-match series.
According to the Otago Daily Times, the DRS is set for a review itself. However, it won't come quick enough to save poor Jayasundera.
Kane Still Able
New Zealand's pursuit of a target of 189 was far from plain sailing.
Openers Tom Latham and Martin Guptill both departed with just 11 runs on the scoreboard, while the late dismissals of Brendon McCullum and Mitchell Santner suggested a further twist in the tale.
However, Williamson provided some backbone for the brittle Black Caps.
The right-hander's third half-century in four innings propelled the home team to the brink of victory by the close.
Williamson is one of just five batsmen to score over 1,000 Test runs in the calendar year. He has an average of 87.84, and that will only rise again if he steers his side over the finishing line on Day 4.
While others around the world may score runs with more style, Williamson is a machine. Without him, New Zealand would have been struggling in their run chase.
Instead, they are favourites to complete a 2-0 series triumph.
All statistics used in the article are from ESPN Cricinfo.
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