Rain and hail halt Test in Dunedin

Sri Lanka have lost three wickets in their chase of 405 to beat New Zealand in Dunedin but play has been halted by rain and hail.

Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis (L) lets the ball pass against New Zealand

Sri Lanka have lost three wickets in their chase of 405 to beat New Zealand in Dunedin. (AAP)

Sri Lanka have lost three second-innings wickets ahead of a rain and hail interruption as they aim to chase down an improbable 405 to win the first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin.

The tourists were 3-109 on Sunday afternoon when a heavy shower, which later turned to hail, hit the University Oval ground.

Kusal Mendis, playing just his second Test, was the third man out in the last session of the fourth day when the weather hit with 20 overs to play.

Mendis, 20, was caught behind off Tim Southee for 46, giving wicket-keeper BJ Watling his ninth catch of the match, to equal a New Zealand record he already shared with Ian Smith.

Dinesh Chandimal was not out on 31 and skipper Angelo Mathews was yet to come to the wicket.

Earlier, Sri Lanka had been set a target of 405 to win.

The first wicket to fall was that of Dimuth Karunaratne (29), who couldn't resist having a swipe at a short ball from Tim Southee (1-15) that he edged to keeper BJ Watling.

Udara Jayasundera (three) lasted just 15 balls before he gloved a legside ball from Neil Wagner (1-6) to give Watling his eighth catch of the match.

It completed a miserable debut for Jayasundera after his six-ball innings of one on the second day.

The tourists could have been worse off had second slip Martin Guptill not dropped Mendis on 13.

It was the second drop off bowler Doug Bracewell in the match after Kane Williamson let go of a Kithuruwan Vithanage drive in the first innings.

At the start of the day New Zealand resumed at 171-1 and despite losing the wickets of Williamson for 71 and Ross Taylor for 15 went at more than five an over.

During McCullum's six-ball innings of 17 he hit two sixes, which brought him level with Adam Gilchrist's record of 100 sixes in Tests.

After his second six, McCullum declared at 267-3 half an hour before lunch with opener Tom Latham on 109, his third Test century.

The weather intervened almost straight away as a rain shower hit in just the second over, forcing an early lunch. There was also a 20-minute rain delay after the break.

History is against Sri Lanka getting 405 runs or lasting five sessions.

The records they are up against:

* Sri Lanka's highest successful second innings chase is the 352-9 when they beat South Africa in Colombo in 2006

* Their highest second innings total against New Zealand was 344-6 in the drawn match at Hamilton in 1991. They were chasing 418 to win and lasted 125 overs

* Their highest second innings score to earn a draw is the 391-4 against Pakistan in Colombo in 2009, when they were chasing 492 and played out 134 overs.

* The highest successful second innings chase on New Zealand soil is the 348-5 the West Indies scored when beating New Zealand at Auckland in 1969

* The highest successful chase in first class cricket at University Oval is 381-3 when Otago beat Canterbury in 2014.


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3 min read

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Source: AAP



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