The all-Mendis pair added 117 in the afternoon session to strengthen Sri Lanka's grip
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Sri Lanka tightened their already iron-like grip on the Test after lunch, as Kamindu Mendis compiled a fifth Test century in his 13th innings, and Kusal Mendis reeled off a 20th half-century, the pair adding 117 in the session.
The numbers are getting monstrous now, with Sri Lanka having batted out as many sessions as they have lost wickets. The total is 519 for 5, with the pitch beginning to respond to the spinners in the afternoon, and more batting still to come for Sri Lanka. The all-Mendis partnership is the third 100-plus stand in their innings, which has also featured a 97-run partnership, and a 74-run one. Kamindu is the second centurion of the innings, to follow Chandimal, who hit 116, mostly on day one.
New Zealand's bowling figures have taken a battering. Ajaz Patel has conceded 135 without taking a wicket, while Mitchell Santner has given away a wicketless 82 too, though has been the tightest of New Zealand's bowlers. They are 11 overs away from being able to claim a third new ball.
The only real chance in the afternoon session came when Kamindu was beaten in the flight by Ajaz, and ran past sharply-turning delivery. There was also a chance created by Prabath Jayasuriya, the left-arm spinner, when Kamindu Mendis tried to sweep him and edged the ball, but Tom Blundell, who has had a modest series behind the stumps, did not get glove to that ball, and Kamindu was reprieved on 112. They had also reviewed an lbw appeal against him when he was on 105, but the projection had the ball turning down the leg side. He'd also been given out caught behind on 113, but the ball had brushed pad rather than bat, and the review saved him.
The bowling had been miserly to begin with, after lunch, with Kusal in particular unable to get many boundaries away. He had been 19 off 60 balls with one four to his name, at one point. Glenn Phillips and Santner were particularly stingy, while Ravindra bowled some neat overs. Sri Lanka appeared to have a plan to go after Ajaz a little bit harder than usual, though, and Kamindu in particular came down the track to Ajaz most frequently.
Three times in this session they launched Ajaz for sixes - Kamindu hitting the first one over long-on, before Kusal launched two over deep midwicket.
Kamindu went to tea with 957 Test runs to his name. Should he get another 43 in this innings, he will be the fastest batsman to make 1000 Test runs since 1950, based on number of innings played.
He had been most effective in the morning session, getting one to bounce on Angelo Mathews, who top edged a sweep to short fine leg, to be out for 88. Phillips also struck in the final over before lunch another top edge, off Dhananjaya de Silva this time, gobbled up by Blundell, who tracked it to short leg.
Kamindu had begun proceedings on 51 and moved along fairly smoothly to 93 at the break. When he reached his century early in the afternoon, the celebrations were low-key as is often the case.