Cricket: Sri Lanka 293-3 at stumps

Sri Lanka were 293 for three at stumps late last night on the opening day of the first cricket test against New Zealand at Galle International Stadium.

Mahela Jayawardene was unbeaten on 108, his 26th test hundred, and Thilan Samaraweera will resume on 82 tomorrow.

Tillakaratne Dilshan earlier made 92 while Chris Martin was New Zealand's most successful bowler with two for 59 from 15 overs.

Dilshan's departure shortly after lunch when he chopped an enticing Iain O'Brien delivery onto his middle stump was greeted with only muted celebration by a New Zealand team aware the damage he inflicted might already be irreparable.

Opening an innings for the first time in his 56-test career, the explosive right hander dragged Sri Lanka out of early trouble at 16 for two by ticking off Sri Lanka's swiftest ever test fifty - from 30 balls.

A shortened opening session, after morning showers delayed the start time by 90 minutes, probably prevented Dilshan becoming test cricket's fourth centurion before lunch on an opening day - and the first since Majid Khan flayed a hundred from New Zealand's attack at Karachi in 1976.

Dilshan's rare lapse in concentration denied the eye-catching strokemaker another historic achievement once he resumed his rollicking 74 from a mere 56 deliveries.

The 32-year-old was within range of demoting Jayawardene's 81-ball whirlwind at Bangladesh's expense at Colombo seven years ago when an expensive O'Brien's luck changed momentarily.

The Wellingtonian bore the brunt of Dilshan's full-frontal assault, his four overs with the new ball conceded 40 as the right hander took the long handle to New Zealand's ineffectual attack once Chris Martin justified Daniel Vettori's attack to bowl first by removing Tharanga Paranavitana for a third ball duck and captain Kumar Sangakkara for eight in his next over.

Dilshan led the recovery by eventually stroking a dozen effortless boundaries and a six as he posted 118 for the third wicket at a fast clip with Jayawardene.

Sri Lanka's former captain was content to assume a support role until he took control of a fourth wicket stand with Samaraweera worth 79.

Jayawardene compiled his maiden test century when the teams last played below Galle's historic Dutch fort in 1998 and might yet emulate that unbeaten 167 as he was untroubled in reaching his 34th test fifty -- and fourth against New Zealand - from a sedate 104 balls.

Dilshan's demise obviously slowed a scoring rate that had taken on ODI-style dimensions but New Zealand's five-pronged attack was never able to cause any anxiety after Martin became the outright holder of fourth place on New Zealand's test wicket taking ranks by moving one clear of Danny Morrison.

Paranavitana was powerless to prevent the third ball of the morning angling in and clipping his bat enroute to Brendon McCullum.

Martin then claimed his 162nd victim when a bemused Sangakkara clipped a half volley to Daniel Flynn at mid-wicket.

The fast bowler had the leading figures of two for 46 from 11 overs while Vettori was doing his utmost to apply the brakes with his 16 overs costing an economical 31 runs.

O'Brien's wicket came at a cost, his nine overs leaking 67.

- NZPA