Kamindu hits another ton to near Bradman mark

First Test, Galle (day one)

Sri Lanka 302-7: Kamindu 114, Kusal 50; O'Rouke 3-54

New Zealand: Yet to bat

Scorecard

Kamindu Mendis continued his singular commencement to Test cricket by scoring his 4th period connected time 1 of the archetypal Test against New Zealand successful Galle.

The 25-year-old left-hander, who scored a 100 and 2 fifties successful the caller bid against England, dragged Sri Lanka to 302-7 with 114 from 171 balls.

He present has 4 centuries successful his archetypal 7 Tests and 8 scores of 50 oregon much successful his 11 innings.

The sound took his mean to 80.90 with lone the legendary Australian Sir Don Bradman's people of 99.94 amended among batters to person played a minimum of 10 innings.

Were Kamindu to people 50 oregon much successful the 2nd innings helium would articulation India large Sunil Gavaskar connected 9 50+ scores - the astir by immoderate batter successful his archetypal 7 Tests.

Only 3 players - Bradman, positive West Indies duo George Headley and Everton Weekes - person scored 5 hundreds successful their archetypal 7 Tests.

England's Harry Brook made a likewise awesome commencement to his vocation erstwhile helium scored 4 hundreds successful his archetypal six Tests aft his debut successful 2022.

Having batted astatine fig 7 against England, Kamindu was promoted to fig 5 against the Black Caps and came to the crease astatine 69-2 erstwhile Angelo Mathews retired wounded aft being deed connected the finger.

The hosts were soon 106-4 but Kamindu shared a concern of 72 with the returning Mathews and 103 with Kusal Mendis, who was the adjacent highest scorer with 50.

Kamindu was yet dismissed successful the penultimate implicit of the time erstwhile helium attempted to chopped a spinning transportation from Ajaz Patel and was caught disconnected the glove.

Kamindu scored 61 against Australia successful his 1 Test innings successful 2022 but has deed sparkling signifier since being recalled to look Bangladesh successful March this year.

He followed a 102 successful the archetypal innings of the archetypal Test with 164 successful the 2nd innings and made 92 not retired a week later.

Against England helium scored 113 successful the archetypal Test astatine Old Trafford, 74 astatine Lord's and 64 successful the bid finale astatine The Oval.