Christchurch, New Zealand: Sri Lanka's new ball pair of Shaminda Eranga and Suranga Lakmal struck back after unproductive first spells to capture New Zealand's openers and send the hosts to lunch at 84-2 Friday on the first day of the first cricket test.
Lakmal prospered after a change of ends, finding seam movement which allowed him to bowl Hamish Rutherford for 18, leaving New Zealand 37-1. Eranga also exploited a greenish pitch with a slowing delivery which removed the other New Zealand opener, Tom Latham, for 27.
Latham was caught off a leading edge by spinner Tharindu Kaushal when the home side was 60-2.
Kane Williamson was 34 not out and Ross Taylor was unbeaten on 3 at lunch.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews won what seemed an influential toss and gave his bowlers first use of a pace-friendly pitch at Hagley Oval. The tourists named a lineup which included four seamers, Mathews among them, and the 21-year-old Kaushal on debut.
Both Lakmal and Eranga fell in delivering the first balls of their first overs, slipping on their delivery stride, and that may have affected their early confidence. While both maintained a reasonable line and length, they didn't full take advantage of a pitch offering pace and carry with the chance of seam movement.
Latham and Rutherford gave New Zealand a sound start, batting through the first hour before Lakmal's change of ends brought about the first breakthrough.
He bowled a fuller delivery on off stump, luring Rutherford into his favored drive, but the ball nipped back, beat the shot and sent the off stump cartwheeling.
Rutherford returned to the lineup Friday for his first test since New Zealand's series win against the West Indies in the Caribbean in June. Since his 171 against England on debut, Rutherford has only once past 50 in 13 tests and was handed a chance Friday to re-establish himself as a regular opener.
Latham, in only his eighth test, seemed set to continue his strong recent form. He made centuries in both the first and second tests of New Zealand's drawn three-test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
Latham batted for 106 minutes Friday and was within sight of lunch when Eranga's delivery, induced the opener into a false shot toward the leg side, hit the leading edge and carried to Kaushal at point.
