Guptill ton powers New Zealand to 409 for 8

The College Oval in Dunedin is a beautiful ground with deciduous trees encompassing it and the lovely summer sun sparkling splendid. Test cricket, lamentably, has been a dull exhibition here. Facilitating its seventh Test match in the same number of years, the ground has seen four high scoring draws and an uneven challenge against Bangladesh in 2008 that New Zealand won by nine wickets. On the other hand, Brendon McCullum, playing his 98th back to back Test, chose to light things up with a marvelous 57-ball 75 on the opening day of the first Test of the two-Test arrangement on Thursday (December 10).

Put into bat, New Zealand began in an assaulting design, showing the brand of cricket that they have effectively pulled off in the course of the most recent eighteen months. Martin Guptill, who strolled into the match having scored only 315 keeps running in his last 18 innings, made great utilization of the unpracticed Sri Lankan rocking the bowling alley assault to give his numbers a support. His thump of 156 lifted New Zealand to 409 for 8.

Guptill, who last scored a Test ton four years back against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, gave a satisfactory record of his ability with the bat close by amid this 234-ball sit tight.

In the first hour of play, Guptill and Tom Latham (22), the openers, scored at more than four runs an over and scored 56 keeps running for the first wicket.Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep, the new-ball pair of Sri Lanka, neglected to exploit the new ball, the solid breeze and the seaming conditions. Latham fell delicately, giving a simple return catch to Lakmal. In any case, the delight for the guests was just transitory as Kane Williamson's entrance into the wrinkle cleared route for more hopelessness.

Angelo Mathews' choice to bowl first fell level as Kane Williamson (88) and Guptill put on 173 keeps running for the second wicket. It came at a genuinely decent pace and the couple played out the whole second session. Over the span of their association, Guptill scored his third Test century. Be that as it may, Williamson played a harmless cut shot, at the stroke of Tea, and could just figure out how to edge it to Dimuth Karunaratne at second slip. Williamson missed the mark concerning his thirteenth Test century.

While Guptill was continuing on ahead without much complain, McCullum strolled in with different arrangements. The New Zealand commander turned out all firearms blasting in the last session and pounded a 39-ball half-century. McCullum died attempting to slop clear Milinda Siriwardana and gave a simple catch to Kithuruwan Vithanage at short fine-leg.

Sri Lanka did well to paw their way back in the diversion yet it was additionally reckless cricket from the New Zealand center request that gave the guests any expectations of holding the hosts under 500.

Mitchell Santner (12), BJ Watling (5) and Tim Southee (2) were back in the cabin playing not the cleverest of shots. Sri Lanka stowed six wickets in the last session to take some comfort on a day that was to a great extent overwhelmed by the hosts.

Guptill was released five overs before stumps attempting to arrange a teasing outswinger from Angelo Mathews. He could just figure out how to edge it to Dinesh Chandimal, the wicketkeeper, yet strolled back to an awakening acclaim by the meager group.

Brief scores: New Zealand 409 for 8 (Martin Guptill 156, Kane Williamson 88, Brendon McCullum 75; Suranga Lakmal 2-69) versus Sri Lanka.