Sinclair hundred revives New Zealand A

New Zealand A 192 for 5 (Sinclair 110*) trail Sri Lanka A 284 (Gunawardene 73, Tharanga 51, Martin 5-64) by 92 runs
Scorecard

Mathew Sinclair kept New Zealand in the game with a superb century © Getty Images

Mathew Sinclair played a lone hand for New Zealand A with a fighting unbeaten 110 to help them to 192 for 5 at close of play on the second day of their four-day match at Kandy. With the Sri Lankans being bowled out for 284 earlier in the day, the match hung in the balance.

Sinclair came in to bat after the New Zealanders had lost two early wickets, and the situation became even more dire when Jamie How was dismissed soon after as the team slumped to 22 for 3, with all three wickets being taken by Gayan Wijekoon, the left-arm medium-fast bowler. Sinclair then strung together a couple of useful partnerships, the more significant of which was a 95-run undefeated stand for the sixth wicket with Gareth Hopkins, who was unbeaten on 24, the second-highest score in the innings.

Earlier, Sri Lanka A stretched their first innings to 284 after resuming at 225 for 6. Chris Martin, who had taken four middle-order wickets on the first day, added the scalp of Malinga Bandara to finish with excellent figures of 5 for 64.