Sri Lanka 120-1 at lunch on day 1 of 1st test vs New Zealand

Kusal Mendis rushed to a half century from 40 balls and led Sri Lanka to 120-1 at lunch Thursday on the first day of the first cricket test against New Zealand.

Mendis was 73 not out and captain Dimuth Karunaratne was 33 at the break.

New Zealand won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in on a Hagley Oval pitch captain Tim Southee said had a “green tinge.” New Zealand bolstered its attack with a fourth seamer but the pitch and overcast conditions didn't provide the support Southee hoped for when he took the new ball.

There was a little swing and New Zealand had three early appeals for lbw turned down. It reviewed the first unsuccessfully but didn't bother with the others as Sri Lanka made its way cautiously to 27-1 after the first hour.

Southee and Matt Henry shared the first 10 overs and bowled well; full and mostly straight to allow for the little movement away from the right hander. The Sri Lanka batsmen were compact and careful, able to leave late.

Opener Oshada Fernandez was the only man out and to what was probably the worst ball of the morning. The delivery from Southee was short and heading down leg; Fernandez shuffled across to glance it and and managed only to tickle a catch to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell down the leg side.

Mendis and captain Dimuth Karunaratne stepped up Sri Lanka's scoring through the second hour to more than five runs per over at the break.

Most of the impetus was provided by Mendis, who reached his 16th half century with a four from Blair Tickner which was the 11th boundary of his innings.

The Sri Lanka batsmen were especially rough on Neil Wagner, who was the hero of New Zealand's one-wicket win over England in the second test at the Basin Reserve late last month. Wagner had given up 30 runs from three overs by lunch as Mendis especially punished his short-pitched bowling.

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