18 Mar 2023

Black Caps make positive start against Sri Lanka

5:34 am on 18 March 2023
New Zealand player Devon Conway during the 2nd test cricket match New Zealand v Sri Lanka. Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand. 17 March 2023.

Devon Conway has brought up his eighth test half century on the opening day of the second cricket test against Sri Lanka, at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Photo: Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

The Black Caps batters have set a solid foundation for their first innings on a disrupted day one of the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

After rain washed out the first session of play, bad light ended the day early.

At stumps New Zealand were 155-2 with Kane Williamson at the crease on 26 and Henry Nicholls on 18.

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to send New Zealand in to bat when play got underway just after 2pm on Friday.

Openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway put on 87 for the first wicket, before Latham went for 21 before tea.

Conway was the next to go, out caught and bowled by Dhananjaya de Silva for 78 off 108 balls.

"I was gutted, absolutely gutted when I got out when I did," said Conway.

"I put in all the hard work ... Those are sort of the ones you want to kick on and make the most of."

Sri Lanka went with three rather than four seam bowlers but had little assistance from the wicket.

"Certainly today was probably the windiest I've played at the Basin," added Conway.

"It certainly was a bit of a challenge for them, we took note of that as batters and tried to put them under as much pressure as we could."

New Zealand lead the two match series 1-0 after their final ball win in the first test in Christchurch.

The Black Caps have made one change to their playing eleven with pace bowler Doug Bracewell replacing the injured Neil Wagner.

It's Bracewell's first test since 2016.

The Black Caps have won five of their last six tests at the Basin Reserve.

-RNZ