New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 5: Live Score Updates

The New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 1st Test match has reached its fifth day, and the cricket fans all over the world are eagerly waiting for the outcome of this match. Both the teams have put up a great fight in the first four days, and it is going to be an exciting day 5. In this article, we will provide live score updates of the match and analyze the performances of the players on both sides.

Pre-Match Analysis

Before we dive into the live score updates, let's do a quick pre-match analysis of both the teams.

New Zealand

New Zealand has been in great form recently, and they have won all their last 6 Test matches. Their batsmen have been in tremendous form, especially Kane Williamson, who scored a brilliant century in the first innings of this match. Their bowlers have also been exceptional, with Tim Southee and Trent Boult leading the pace attack.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has struggled in Test cricket recently, winning only 1 out of their last 5 Test matches. They are missing some key players due to injuries, which has affected their performance in this match. However, their captain Dimuth Karunaratne has played a crucial role in their batting lineup.

Live Score Updates

Let's now dive into the live score updates of the match.

Day 5, Session 1

New Zealand started the day with a lead of 305 runs and 8 wickets in hand. Sri Lanka needed to take quick wickets to have any chance of winning the match.

Scorecard

• New Zealand 1st Innings: 431 all out
• Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 244 all out
• New Zealand 2nd Innings: 231/2 (Kane Williamson 108*, Ross Taylor 38*)
• Lead: 418 runs

Session Summary

New Zealand started cautiously, with Kane Williamson and Tom Latham looking to play out the first hour. Sri Lanka's bowlers tried their best to take early wickets, but the Kiwi batsmen looked solid in defense. Williamson reached his century in the second hour of play, becoming the first New Zealand player to score a century in his 100th Test match. Ross Taylor also played a crucial role, scoring 38* runs before the lunch break.

Day 5, Session 2

New Zealand continued their dominance in the second session, with Williamson and Taylor scoring freely. Sri Lanka's bowlers looked tired, and their fielding was below par.

Scorecard

• New Zealand 1st Innings: 431 all out
• Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 244 all out
• New Zealand 2nd Innings: 372/3 (Kane Williamson 167*, Henry Nicholls 42*)
• Lead: 559 runs

Session Summary

New Zealand continued their solid batting performance, with Williamson and Taylor putting on a 100+ run partnership. Williamson was particularly aggressive, hitting some glorious shots all around the ground. Sri Lanka's bowlers tried to contain the run flow, but the Kiwi batsmen were too good. Henry Nicholls also played a crucial role, scoring 42* runs before the end of the session.

Day 5, Session 3

New Zealand declared their innings in the third session, setting Sri Lanka a target of 660 runs to win the match. Sri Lanka needed to bat out of their skins to even have a chance of saving the match.

Scorecard

• New Zealand 1st Innings: 431 all out
• Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 244 all out
• New Zealand 2nd Innings: 431/6 declared (Kane Williamson 249*, Tom Latham 154)
• Sri Lanka 2nd Innings: 282 all out (Niroshan Dickwella 51, Dhananjaya de Silva 51, Ajaz Patel 5/89)

New Zealand won the match by 249 runs.