Martin Guptill made a long-awaited hundred but Kane Williamson was denied yet another milestone as New Zealand continued to dominate day one of the first cricket test with Sri Lanka in Dunedin on Thursday.
Guptill’s third test century - and first since his 109 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in late 2011 - and an extension of Williamson’s outstanding year enabled New Zealand to accumulate 229-2 by tea at a sun-drenched University Oval.
Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl first was questioned inside the first hour as Guptill and Tom Latham settled in - and they almost endured a wicketless middle session until Williamson’s demise on 88 gave captain Angelo Mathews some consolation.
Williamson was poised to record his 13th test ton when he edged a Nuwan Pradeep delivery high to Dimuth Karunaratne at first slip two balls before the scheduled break.
Guptill, who was unbeaten on 111, will be joined by Ross Taylor for the session to stumps after adding 173 for the second wicket with Williamson, a Black Caps record against Sri Lanka..
In desperate need of a substantial score after a poor tour of Australia, Guptill converted his 15th test 50 into triple figures with a generally authoritative knock studded with 17 boundaries.
The right hander drove Suranga Lakmal through the covers to the fence before directing a relatively low key acknowledgement to the pavilion.
The 29-year-old right hander, who averaged 13.66 in three tests across the Tasman, had only raised his bat three times in his previous 24 test innings so the relief was palpable.
He needed 147 balls to make his ton, a scoring rate that encapsulated an aggressive stand that produced allowed New Zealand to maintain a scoring rate of more than 4 runs per over.
Guptill did have some anxious moments - he has almost run out on 29 when batting with Latham - the only casualty when he prodded a return catch to Lakmal when the score was 56.
He also had a reprieve on 78 when he was rapped on the back pad by Dushmantha Chameera - English umpire Richard Kettleborough turned down the appeal the Sri Lankans opted not to review the decision only for replays to indicate the ball clipped the top of leg stump.
Guptill, who reached the 2000-run landmark with when his 12th boundary advanced him to 60, looked set to make the most of his reprieve.
Williamson, meanwhile, cruised to within range of his 13th test ton with a controlled innings that pushed his prolific 2015 into December - and the 992 tests runs for the calendar year.
Currently international cricket’s leading run scorer across all formats this year, made an effortless 50 from 53 balls but when another understated celebration beckoned he edged a drive to give Pradeep his 37th scalp.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers tightened after their ineffectual use of the new ball but caused few concerns.
Pradeep (1-61 from 13.5) joined fellow opening bowler Lakmal (1-58 from 14) as wicket takers on an otherwise ideal day for run scoring, Stuff.co.nz reports.
