New Zealand record comprehensive win

New Zealand secured a 122-run win in the first Test as Sri Lankan resistance folded with the loss of seven wickets on the final day on Monday.

New Zealand had set Sri Lanka a formidable 405-run target to win but with sufficient time to get there on a non-threatening wicket.

Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, showed some resistance at the start of the day putting on 56 for the fourth wicket before both fell in quick succession.

Mathews was out-witted by Neil Wagner and went for 25, with top-scorer Chandimal (58) beaten by Mitchell Santner 17 balls later and the match spiralled away from the tourists from there.

The comprehensive victory gave New Zealand their fourth consecutive win over Sri Lanka in the past three years.

After a bold second-innings declaration at 267/3 by Brendon McCullum, Sri Lanka had more than five sessions to reach 405. When they resumed Monday at 109-3, and with an extra half-hour tacked on to make up for three rain breaks the previous day, Sri Lanka were 296 runs behind.

But any hopes of a salvage job were built around the experienced Chandimal and Mathews digging in for a long stay at the crease.

It was Wagner, recalled after a year out of Test cricket, who broke the partnership when he fired two short deliveries at Mathews. Chandimal was gone less than three overs later for 58 when trapped leg before wicket by spinner Santner.

For New Zealand, Southee took three for 52 while Trent Boult, Wagner and Santner finished with two wickets each.