Only 29.3 overs were sent down at the P Sara Oval on another rain-marred day. The start was delayed by an hour and 15 minutes following overnight rain, and only one session of play was possible after play began at 10.30am. However, in that time, Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, on 49 overnight, registered his 23rd Test fifty, as the batsmen attempted to grind down New Zealand.
Play has been abandoned for the day in Colombo!
— ICC (@ICC) August 23, 2019
Sri Lanka will resume on 144/6 tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/fOlUFTsWx7
However, it didn't take long for the first wicket to fall. Angelo Matthews nicked one down leg off Trent Boult to become the New Zealander's 250th Test scalp – Boult became just the third New Zealand bowler to reach the mark. He soon made it 251 when, later that over, he trapped Kusal Perera lbw for a three-ball duck.
He would have, and should have, added the scalp of Dhananjaya de Silva to the list, but was guilty of dropping a sitter off his own bowling. De Silva and Karunaratne then continued their resistance for 15.4 overs before another double-strike, this time by Tim Southee, further reduced the hosts to 130/6.
Trent Boult is the third New Zealand bowler to cross 250 Test wickets.
— ICC (@ICC) August 23, 2019
Can Tim Southee achieve the feat in this Test?
FOLLOW #SLvNZ LIVE ▶️ https://t.co/vHUIvr9xfw pic.twitter.com/xBhMJh7wSl
Southee first accounted for the well-set Karunaratne for 65, inducing an edge off the captain, and then had Niroshan Dickwella caught behind for a duck. Sri Lanka went in to lunch at 144/6, with de Silva and Dilruwan Perera unbeaten on 32 and 5 respectively.
However, the players didn't get a chance to walk back out, with persistent rain ensuring another 60.3 overs of play was lost on the second day.