Left-arm quick produces stunning spell on second morning to put NZ in control of second Test
Six wickets in 15 balls: Boult blows SL away
Black Caps quick Trent Boult has recorded career-best figures following a stunning burst of six wickets in 15 balls to open day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch.
Full scorecard here
After Sri Lanka resumed on 4-88 – trailing the hosts by 90 following an eventful opening day at Hagley Oval – Boult struck with the wicket of Roshen Silva in his third over of the morning, well caught at third slip by Tim Southee.
Niroshan Dickwella then struck Boult's next ball for four, and at that point the left-arm quick's figures of 1-30 were tidy but far from headline-making, with Southee taking those honours on day one courtesy of three top-order wickets.
Boult then stole the show in spectacular fashion, taking three wickets in his following over and two more in his next to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings on 104.
The final five wickets fell for four runs - the worst final five-wickets collapse in Sri Lanka's Test history.
Sri Lanka's final four batsmen all fell for ducks, lbw to Boult, as Angelo Mathews (33no) watched on helplessly from the non-striker's end.
Each batsman of tail dismissed for duck in a Test innings Eng vs Aus, MCG, 1994 Eng vs Aus, Lord's, 2005 WI vs NZ, Wellington, 2013 SL vs NZ, TODAY Tail refers to batsmen 8, 9, 10 and 11. #NZvSL— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) December 26, 2018
Boult finished with figures of 6-30, his best in a Test innings, to swing the Test in New Zealand's favour.
The 29-year-old now has 230 Test wickets, and sits in fifth place on the Black Caps' all-time wicket-takers list, just behind Chris Martin (233) and Southee (235), who yesterday overtook Martin to jump into third place, well adrift of legends Sir Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (361).
The two-match series is currently level at 0-0 after the first Test was spoiled by rain on the final day.