Sri Lankan batsmen forge spirited reply

Sri Lanka's batsmen, faced with New Zealand's daunting 515 for 7, sparkled in the morning, wobbled in the afternoon and consolidated in the evening. When a thunderstorm forced a premature close for the second consecutive day, they were comfortably placed on 267 for 4.

With a double strike soon after lunch, Sri Lanka were in danger of following on, but an unbroken fifth-wicket stand worth 133 runs between Hashan Tillakaratne, used to such rearguard action, and Mahela Jayawardene, who needed to make up for his horrendous dropped catches yesterday, gave them a fighting chance of saving the game.

Having negotiated a testing spell from Shane Bond, New Zealand's most penetrative bowler, Tillakaratne and Jayawardene settled down and were rarely troubled in the evening. Jayawardene put his dismal World Cup form to bed, easing his way to his 17th fifty, finishing the day on 58 not out. Tillakaratne, who came agonisingly close to being trapped lbw when padding up to Darryl Tuffey late on, was unbeaten on 71, his 19th half-century in Tests.

Sri Lanka were not out of trouble yet, but assuming that they score the 49 runs needed to avoid the follow on, they would expect to bat out the final day on a featherhead surface still offering the bowlers scant assistance. The first priority tomorrow will be seeing off the second new ball, which was taken minutes before the rain. Even if they did collapse spectacularly, Stephen Fleming may be forced to bat again to refresh his tired bowlers.

After their disastrous two overs on Saturday evening, when Marvan Atapattu had been dubiously adjudged lbw to the fifth ball of the innings, Sri Lanka had made a spirited start to the fourth day. Chaminda Vaas, the nightwatchman, scored just 4 before edging to Fleming at first slip, but Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya then rallied, adding 103 from 184 balls for the third wicket.

Sangakkara, freed from the exhausting burden of keeping wicket, was especially impressive. Aggressive from the outset, he kick-started his innings with a flurry of early boundaries off Bond. He should have been dismissed early, but the New Zealand catching was nearly as shoddy as Sri Lanka's on the previous two days. Bond missed a low return catch when Sangakkara mistimed a punched drive on 11 and Fleming grassed a low chance at slip off Jacob Oram when on 23.

Undeterred, Sangakkara remained positive, greeting Daniel Vettori's introduction with another string of boundaries. Aware that Vettori represented a key threat, Sangakkara disturbed his length, driving through the covers when full and sweeping in front of square when Vettori pulled back. He breezed to his tenth Test fifty off just 73 balls.

Jayasuriya - now back opening the innings after a failed experiment in the middle order during the last tour to South Africa - was slow in comparison but certainly no slouch. Characteristically strong through the off side, he completed his 23rd Test fifty in the last over after lunch.

Going into lunch on 114 for 2, Sri Lanka were well positioned. The pitch - slow and flat - held few fears and clear blue skies offered little encouragement for New Zealand's pace bowlers. However, the cruel dismissal of Jayasuriya, who was bowled for 50, swung the initiative back to the visitors. Playing defensively, Jayasuriya jabbed down at a short delivery from Bond only to watch in horror as the ball bounced back over his head to neatly dislodge his leg-stump bail. (114 for 3).

Shortly afterwards, Sri Lanka slipped deeper into the mire when Sangakkara pressed the self-destruct button. Over eager to attack the offspin of Paul Wiseman, he walloped two straight boundaries but perished when aiming an expansive legside swat. The ball spun, took the leading edge and Oram held a fine catch running backwards from extra cover (134 for 4).

Bond, who troubled the batsman with his extra pace, finishing the day with 2 for 64, dominated the New Zealand bowling. Darryl Tuffey, his new-ball partner, and Oram were tight but rarely threatening. Wiseman's best moment was the dismissal of Sangakkara while Vettori toiled away for 21 overs without success.