GALLE: Sri Lanka lost captain Dhananjaya de Silva in the over before lunch on Friday but remained in control of the second Test against New Zealand at 402 for five on Day 2.
Glenn Phillips claimed both wickets that fell in the morning session in almost identical fashion. Both Angelo Mathews and de Silva's top-edged attempted sweeps against the off-spinner were caught out.
Kamindu Mendis was unbeaten on 93 at the interval, just seven runs short of his fifth Test century. He shared a 107-run partnership with Mathews for the fourth wicket and a 74-run stand with de Silva for the fifth.
Kamindu has been the leading scorer in Sri Lanka's last two series, in England and Bangladesh, and is again on top, playing in his hometown.
Sri Lanka leads the two-match series after a 63-run victory in the opening Test. The home team has been dominant in the second Test, with Dinesh Chandimal’s 16th century helping the hosts reach 306 for three on Day 1.