New Zealand 114-1 at lunch on day 1, 1st test vs. Sri Lanka
DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) New Zealand prospered against a depleted Sri Lanka attack on the first morning of the first test Thursday, reaching 114-1 by lunch after losing the toss.
Martin Guptill reached his 15th half century in tests and was unbeaten on 53 while Kane Williamson was 32 not out in a 58-run partnership.
Sri Lanka lost its leading fast bowler, Dhammika Prasad, in a warmup match but still took four seamers into the test after inspecting a heavily-grassed pitch at the University Oval.
Opening bowlers Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep missed their lengths in the early, advantageous conditions and allowed Guptill and Latham to play confidently from the front foot. Captain Angelo Mathews was forced to join the attack in the eighth over, with New Zealand scoring at five runs per over.
Mathews' introduction and tighter spells from Pradeep and Lakmal briefly slowed the run-rate and brought the wicket of opener Tom Latham, who was out for 22 after making a patient start.
Latham misjudged a ball from Lakmal which was just short of a driving length and which seamed slightly. He attempted to play firmly to mid-on but the movement of the ball deviated enough to create a return catch to Lakmal which the bowler juggled before securing.
Williamson then joined Guptill and the pair quickened the scoring again as Sri Lanka's bowlers, working on a shorter length, began to stray too wide of the stumps. Many runs in the second hour came behind point.
Guptill reached his half century in 112 minutes, from 74 balls with his 11th boundary; a streaky shot between point and third man. There was only one serious alarm in his innings, when he narrowly avoided being run out on 29 when New Zealand was 52-0 in the 15th over.
Latham made another of his steady starts and put on 56 with Guptill for the first wicket. He had scores of 47, 29, 36, 15, 50 and 10 in New Zealand's recent, three-test series in Australia but continues to find difficulty in going on after making a start.
Williamson looked in outstanding form, as he was in Australia where he made centuries in the first and second tests. He rushed to 32 from only 33 balls with six boundaries.
Mathews was the best of the Sri Lanka bowlers, lacking pace but finding a nagging length. He had 0-17 from six overs at lunch while Lakmal had 1-33 from eight.
