Partnerships were the name of the game as New Zealand strung together several of significance to come within 50 runs of Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 305 at stumps on day two in Galle.

There were breezy fifties from Tom Latham and Kane Williamson  and Rachin Ravindra  also put forward an aggressive cameo. By the time an extended final session ended 15 minutes early due to bad light, there were more names on that list, as Daryl Mitchell  and Tom Blundell  had put together an unbeaten stand of 59 off 105. Theirs was the fourth 50-plus stand of the innings on a day that belonged almost in totality to the visitors.

All this happened despite a rain-curtailed morning session during which only 15 minutes of play were possible. But that was all it took for New Zealand to pick up the remaining three Sri Lanka wickets.

Sri Lanka’s best moments of the day were just that – moments – as their bowlers struggled to put together any periods of concerted pressure. Despite the surface offering turn, none of the four spinners used by the hosts were able to find consistent lines and lengths – either due to the strong breeze across the stadium or the New Zealand batters’ proactiveness in using their feet as well as a variety of sweeps.

The hosts were also unable to build on any of the wickets to fall, with each new batter settling in quickly. Only a burst from Dhananjaya de Silva  when he dismissed Williamson and Ravindra in the space of two overs, offered a glimmer of Sri Lankan dominance, but that hope was snuffed out quickly by Mitchell and Blundell.

The rest of the spinners’ figures told a story. Prabath Jayasuriya toiled for 31 overs for figures of 99 for 1, easily his worst in Galle thus far, while Ramesh Mendis’ 17 overs went for 69 and brought a solitary scalp. Kamindu Mendis was used only for one over that went for eight.

Earlier in the day, it was Latham and Williamson who proved to be Sri Lanka’s tormentors. Latham, in particular, provided the blueprint during his 111-ball 70, both with his footwork and, more potently, prolific use of the sweep and reverse sweep.

While Devon Conway never really looked anywhere close to his flowing best, labouring his way to 17 off 59 deliveries, Latham was more than making up for it at the other end. This ensured a solid opening stand of 63, one brought to an end against the run of play – and upon review – with Conway missing one from Ramesh Mendis that straightened after pitching.

Instead of bringing Sri Lanka back into proceedings, the wicket only hastened New Zealand’s advancement as Williamson easily matched Latham’s urgency. Within his first 14 deliveries, the former captain had cut, pulled and lofted two boundaries and a six, and while that rate of scoring was never going to be maintained, the Sri Lanka spinners’ wayward lines allied with expert manoeuvring from both Williamson and Latham meant dot balls were rarely strung together.

That Sri Lanka eventually broke the 73-run stand, which took only 120 balls, was down to the batter’s error more than the bowlers’ effectiveness, as Latham’s most potent weapon – the sweep – became his undoing, when he top-edged to backward square leg off Jayasuriya at the stroke of tea.

There was no respite for Sri Lanka in the final session either, as Ravindra managed to further up the ante over the course of a 48-ball 39. His expert use of the depth of the crease also meant any error in length was punished square of the wicket on either side.

The Williamson-Ravindra stand of 51 took just 84 deliveries, and were it not for a piece of brilliance from wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis – leaping forward past the stumps to hold on to a leading edge of Williamson – it was hard to see where a breakthrough might have come from. Ravindra himself fell shortly after, leaving an arm ball that clattered into his off stump and punching his bat in disgust on the way back to the dressing room. But Sri Lanka’s joy was short-lived as Mitchell and Blundell negotiated safely whatever was thrown at them, including a period of short-ball barrages from Asitha Fernando.

During the heavily rain-affected morning session, William O’Rourke starred once more, adding two further wickets to his overnight tally, to end with figures of 5 for 55 as Sri Lanka were bowled out adding just three runs to their overnight total.

Brief scores:

New Zealand 255 for 4  in 72 overs (Tom Latham 70, Kane Williamson 55, Dhananjaya de Silva 2-31) trail Sri Lanka 305 (Kamindu Mendis 114, Kusal Mendis 50, William O’Rourke 5-55) by 50 runs

(Cricinfo)