CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand eyed an early finish to the first Test Sunday as they reduced Sri Lanka to 131 for two at lunch on the third day in Christchurch.
Sri Lanka, with Dimuth Karunaratne on 77 and Lahiru Thirimanne on 14, require a further 172 runs to make New Zealand bat again after being forced to follow on 303 runs in arrears on the first innings.
They began the day on 84 without loss but were soon in trouble in cool, heavily overcast conditions.
New Zealand quick Tim Southee had success in the first over of the morning when Kaushal Silva was caught behind by BJ Watling without adding to his overnight 33.
Southee's strike partner Trent Boult then claimed Kumar Sangakkara cheaply for the second time in the match.
After edging Boult to slips to be out for six in the first innings, he nicked the left-armer through to the keeper to be gone for one in his second turn in the middle.
It left the Sri Lankan batsman a tantalising five runs short of becoming only the fifth player to post 12,000 Test runs.
Karunaratane, who brought up his 50 off the second ball of the day when he nudged Southee to mid-on for a single, had been largely untroubled but Thirimanne had a scare shortly before lunch.
He was given out on 13, leg before wicket to Mark Craig, only for the decision to be overturned on appeal when replays showed the ball would have missed the stumps.
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