A sublime six-wicket haul by Trent Boult and half centuries from Tom Latham and Jeet Raval gave New Zealand a vice-like grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch on Thursday. At the close of the second day, New Zealand were 231 for two, holding a commanding 305-run lead in their second innings with eight wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka's hopes of taking the series-deciding Test were severely dented in a 15-ball masterclass of swing bowling from Boult when he took six wickets for four runs. It gave New Zealand a 74-run first-innings lead, which Latham and Raval extended to 195 with a century opening stand.