SL vs NZ first Test: Prabath Jayasuriya grabs five wickets as Sri Lanka beats New Zealand by 63 runs

New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka vs New Zealand first Test at Galle - Day 5 on september 23, 2024

Prabath Jayasuriya took five wickets to steer Sri Lanka to a 63-run victory on Monday (September 23, 2024) against New Zealand on the final morning of the first Test in Galle.

Set a target of 275 to win, the Black Caps were bowled out for 211 less than 15 minutes after play resumed, with Rachin Ravindra top-scoring on 92.

“When you come to Galle, all that you need to do is to stick to the basics,” said man-of-the-match Jayasuriya.

“The wicket provides plenty of assistance and you just need to bowl with discipline. Your consistency is the key and there was lot of help from the rest of the spinners as well.”

Ravindra had finished on Sunday (September 22, 2024) waging a lone battle on a sharply turning pitch in Galle, where the tourists had lost all four of their previous Test encounters.

His knock was the highest score by a New Zealander at the ground, eclipsing Ross Taylor’s 89 in 2019.

But the slender path to victory he had opened was snapped shut when Jayasuriya trapped him lbw while trying to defend on the back foot.