New Zealand openers Craig Cumming and James Marshall racked up 54 without loss to reinforce the home side's dominance of the first day of the second cricket test against Sri Lanka in Wellington today.
They faced 11 overs in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings of 211 before bad light forced an early end to the first day at 5.15pm (local time).
Cumming was on 14 with Marshall on 24.
Earlier, New Zealand opening bowler Chris Martin took career-best figures of six for 54 as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 211 in 65.1 overs.
Martin took the first five wickets to fall as Sri Lanka slumped to 60 for five before lunch.
Playing his 23rd test, Martin's return topped his previous best of six for 76 against South Africa in March last year.
Sri Lanka's Thilan Samaraweera topscored with his eighth test half-century before being last out for 73.
Allrounder Nathan Astle, who took over the captaincy when Stephen Fleming left the field with a knee injury, also took career-best figures of three for 35.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka
First innings
M Atapattu c Vincent b Martin 0
S Jayasuriya c Astle b Martin 22
K Sangakkara c J Marshall b Martin 16
M Jayawardene lbw b Martin 1
T Samaraweera lbw b Astle 73
T Dilshan c McCullum b Martin 9
S Kalavithigoda c Vincent b Martin 7
C Vaas b Franklin 5
U Chandana lbw b Astle 41
F Maharoof c sub (How) b Astle 12
L Malinga not out 4
Extras (4b, 5lb, 11nb, 1w) 21
Total (65.1 overs) 211
Fall: 0 (Atapattu), 34 (Sangakkara), 36 (Jayawardene), 41 (Jayasuriya), 60 (Dilshan), 80 (Kalavithigoda), 86 (Vaas), 175 (Chandana), 200 (Maharoof), 211 (Samaraweera).
Bowling: C Martin 20-7-54-6 (1nb), J Franklin 11-1-51-1 (9nb, 1w), K Mills 20-6-50-0 (1nb), N Astle 12.1-2-35-3, P Wiseman 2-0-12-0.
New Zealand
First innings
C Cumming not out 14
J Marshall not out 24
Extras (4b, 6lb, 4nb) 14
Total (for 0 wkts, 11 overs) 52
Bowling: C Vaas 5-1-16-0 (4nb), L Malinga 3-0-14-0, F Maharoof 3-1-12-0.
NZPA
Cricket: NZ 54-0 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 211
New Zealand's Chris Martin, centre, celebrates with his team mates after taking five Sri Lankan wickets in the first session on the first day of the second test at the Basin Reserve. Picture / Fotopress
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