Bookmakers give edge to Sri Lanka after first day of NZ Test

New Zealand and Sri Lanka shared the honours on day one of the first Test between the two sides in Galle on Wednesday, with the home side making 302 runs but losing seven wickets.

Cricket bookmakers have given the the Sri Lankans the advantage after day 1, shortening them from $2.25 into $1.66 to win the match.

New Zealand’s odds of victory have blown out from $3.75 to $4.33, with the Kiwis struggling to make in-roads into the improved Sri Lankan batting order.

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Odds for a draw underwent a big shift as well, increasing from $2.75 to $4.33.

The primary culprit behind this change in odds was Kamindu Mendis, who scored his fourth century in just seven Test matches for Sri Lanka.

Mendis made a crucial 114 runs from 173 balls to anchor the Sri Lankan innings, after the home side slipped to 106/4 early on day one.

The middle order batsman has now scored at least 60 runs in eight of his 11 red-ball innings for Sri Lanka, giving him an average of 80.90 across his career so far.

Mendis had company from another Mendis, Kusal, who made a half century to take the world No.6’s through to 281/5.

Matters could have been worse for New Zealand, had they not hit back with two critical wickets late in the day.

Spinners Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips removed both Mendis’, leaving Sri Lanka at 307/7 with two new batsmen at the crease heading into day two.

Earlier in the day, it had been fast bowlers William O’Rourke and Tim Southee who did the bulk of the damage to take Sri Lanka’s first four wickets.

O’Rourke – bowling in his first Test in Asia – was impressive.

The 23-year-old removed both openers as well as the world-class Angelo Mathews, finishing with figures of 3/54.

“We had a bowl, and Tim (Southee) and I were getting good carry, so the communication was to run in hard and hit the deck hard,” said O’Rourke after day one in Galle.

“I probably scattered it around a bit more than I wanted to, but when I hit the right spot I was lucky enough to get a few edges.

“It’s very special being this early on in my career bowling to legends like Angelo Mathews.

“It’s special to be able to bowl to greats like him and lucky enough to get his wicket at the end.”