Sri Lanka took complete control of the second Test match after bowling out New Zealand to 88 in the first innings in Galle on Saturday. Prabath Jayasuriya took six wickets to make the biggest impact while captain Dhananjaya de Silva contributed with five catches to help the hosts take a stunning 514-run lead on Day 3.
Dhananjaya picked all of his five catches off Jayasuriya to repeat a rare milestone of an outfield fielder taking five catches off the same bowler in a Test innings for only the second time in history. Notably, another Sri Lankan Lahiru Thirimane was the first fielder to create this milestone with five catches off Lasith Embuldeniya in a Test match against England in 2021.
However, three cricketers Bob Taylor, Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher also find their names in this unique milestone but all as designated wicketkeepers.
Five catches off a bowler for a fielder/keeper in a Test innings:
- 5 catches - Bob Taylor-Ian Botham, England vs India in 1980
- 5 catches - Mark Boucher-Allan Donald, South Africa vs England in 1998
- 5 catches - Adam Gilchrist -Michael Kasprowicz, Astralia vs Sri Lanka in 2004
- 5 catches - Lahiru Thirimanne-Lasith Embuldeniya, Sri Lanka vs England in 2021
- 5 catches - Dhananjaya de Silva-Prabath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka vs New Zealand in 2024
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka managed to enforce a stunning 514-run follow-on to New Zealand as they eye a huge victory in the second match for a series win. Jayasuriya picked six wickets for 42 while the debutant Nishan Peiris picked three wickets for 33 to contribute to Sri Lanka's dominance.
Jayasuriya now has taken eight of nine five-wicket hauls at Galle International Stadium. He now boasts 94 wickets in 16 Test matches and needs six more to become the joint-fastest to 100 Test wickets in terms of matches.
