Williamson guides NZ to series win

Sport360 staff 06:50 21/12/2015
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  • Leading light: Kane Williamson.

    Kane Williamson completed a stellar century as New Zealand sealed a 2-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka.

    Resuming their second innings on 142 for five, New Zealand were 47 short of their target and all too aware that 16 wickets had fallen during Sunday’s play.

    Sri Lanka paceman Dushmantha Chameera had taken nine wickets in the match, with New Zealand finding his bounce often too much.

    But on day four of the second Test in Hamilton the home side avoided any further scares, cruising to their victory target without losing any further wickets, with star batsman Williamson finishing undefeated on 108.

    Following an emphatic win in Dunedin, New Zealand almost came undone in the second match, conceding a 55-run first-innings deficit.

    But in Williamson they have a player at the top of his game, and after a shambolic batting performance from Sri Lanka second time around on Sunday, when they were rooted out for 133, the game was there to be won by the Black Caps.

    A fifth Test century of 2015 from Williamson anchored their innings, with the 25-year-old coming to the crease after Chameera had reduced the home side to 11 for two on Sunday.

    While wickets continued to fall, Williamson stood firm and emphatically atoned for a first-innings failure, when he made just one, to earn the man of the match award.

    BJ Watling swept the winning run, but it was Williamson’s day, again. A 13th career Test ton from the Tauranga-born batsman extends New Zealand’s unbeaten Test run to 13 games.

    They and Sri Lanka now head into limited-overs action, with the first of five one-day internationals scheduled for Christchurch on Boxing Day.

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