Herath takes 11 as New Zealand crushed

Tourists thrashed inside three days in 1st test.

GALLE: Sri Lanka handed New Zealand a crushing 10-wicket defeat inside three days to claim the opener of their two-match series and consign the visitors to a fifth successive Test loss for the first time in 57 years.

Spinner Rangana Herath was once again the tormentor-in-chief, securing the man-of-the-match award by taking six for 43 to follow up on his first innings haul of five for 65. The home side were left requiring just 93 to win and Thranaga Paranavitana (31) and debutant Dimuth Karunaratne (60) knocked off the runs before the tea break.

The defeat meant that for the first time since 1955, New Zealand have lost five Tests in a row, following 2-0 series losses against the West Indies and India earlier this year.

“That’s not a nice statistic to hear and we have got to put it right quickly,” captain Ross Taylor told reporters. “It will be difficult in Colombo and then in South Africa, it won’t get any easier, but we need to pick ourselves up.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2012.