New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 2018: 1st Test – Statistical Highlights

The first of the 2-match Test series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka played in Wellington ended in a draw but not before witnessing some great moments. Sri Lanka recovered from 9/3 in the first innings to finish with 282 but the hosts took a 296-run first-innings lead. Tom Latham carried the bat with an unbeaten 264 to take New Zealand to 578.

The Lankans were reduced to 13/3 in the second essay before a marathon partnership between Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis. The duo struck centuries and batted out the 4th day without losing a wicket. Only 13 overs of play was possible on the final day due to rain resulting in a draw with the Lankans finishing on 287/3.

All the major stats and numbers that were recorded during the first Test match in Wellington:

Seeing through full day’s play:

2008 – The Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews pair is the first in Test cricket to bat full day’s play without losing a wicket since Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith on the opening day of the 2008 Dhaka Test against Bangladesh.

5 – The 4th day of this Wellington Test was the 5th time when Sri Lanka did not lose a wicket in a full day’s play. The last such instance was during the 2006 Colombo Test during Mahela and Sangakkara’s world record stand.

Carrying the bat:

264* – Tom Latham’s unbeaten 264 is the highest individual score while carrying the bat in a Test match. He thus broke the record held by Alastair Cook – 244* who created that in the Boxing Day Test last year against Australia in Melbourne.

2 – Tom Latham is only the 2nd New Zealand player to carry the bat in a Test match. Glenn Turner carried the bat for the Kiwis on two different instances (vs England in 1969 and vs Windies in 1972).

A stand that lasted 100 overs:

652 – Number of balls the Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews pair batted for the 4th wicket in the second innings; the 3rd longest partnership in Test cricket for Sri Lanka.

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara batted 942 balls during their 624-run stand against South Africa in the 2006 Colombo Test. Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya’s opening stand of 335 against Pakistan in the 2000 Kandy Test lasted 686 balls.

4 – Each of the previous four Test partnerships that lasted 100+ overs since 2014 involved New Zealand. They produced once such partnership against India and Sri Lanka. The Kiwis also conceded one such stand against these two teams in this span. Three of these four partnerships have been recorded at the Basin Reserve.

Poorest of starts for the Lankans:

22 – Runs aggregated by Sri Lanka for their first three wickets in both innings of this Test; the lowest for them. The previous lowest aggregate in a Test for first three wickets by Sri Lanka was 28 runs against Pakistan in the 1999 Dhaka Test.

22 – The 22 runs aggregated by the Lankans for the first three wickets in this Test are the 3rd lowest for any team in a Test match since 2008. Zimbabwe aggregated 13 runs for their first three wickets against New Zealand in the 2012 Napier Test while Windies made 17 runs in the Bridgetown Test this year against Sri Lanka.

Building the innings:

13/3 – The Mendis-Mathews partnership began at the score of 13/3 which is the 2nd lowest score from where a pair put on a double century stand in Test cricket for 4th wicket or lower wicket.

HA Gomes and Clive Lloyd shared 237 for the 4th wicket after losing first three wickets for just one run against India in the 1983 Wellington Test.

274* – The unbeaten 274-run stand between Mendis and Mathews is the 2nd highest last partnership of a Test match. The Windies pair HA Gomes and Gordon Greenidge added an unbeaten 287-run stand for the 2nd wicket in the 1984 Lord’s Test against England in a 342-run chase from 57/1.

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