Lou double puts Kiwis on a high

That left New Zealand with a first innings lead of 311 after they had skittled the tourists for just 211 on the opening day. Sri Lanka wiped 10 runs off the deficit before bad light ended play early at the Basin Reserve but suffered a major setback when they lost opener Sanath Jayasuriya on the third day.

Jayaysuriya departed for two in the third over when Chris Martin found the edge and Vincent took a sharp catch at third slip.

Captain Marvan Atapattu survived seven tricky overs to reach the close unbeaten on five with nightwatchman Farveez Maharoof on one, leaving the tourists facing an uphill task to save the match.

Vincent batted nearly nine hours and faced 348 balls in a marathon innings that featured 25 boundaries and four sixes. He started the day on 79 and crawled to 93 at lunch after rain washed out most of the morning session. When play resumed after the interval, he carefully brought up his third test hundred off 223 balls then suddenly accelerated, blasting 101 between lunch and tea.

He had a lucky escape on 193 when he was dropped in the deep by Jayasuriya but kept his cool to smack Upul Chandana to the boundary rope to raise his double-century off 339 deliveries, raising his bat in triumph.

Vincent became the 10th New Zealander to score a Test double-hundred before notching another 24 to climb to seventh place on the all-time list before he was eventually run out trying to scamper home for two.

Brief score

Sri Lanka: 211 and 10-1 vs New Zealand: 522-9 decl (C.Cumming 47, L.Vincent 224, S.Fleming 88, K.Mills 31, P.Wiseman 32 n.o, Vaas 6-108, Malinga 2-124).