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• Latham and Williamson lead charge as New Zealand close gap on Sri Lanka

  Tom Latham and Kane Williamson led the way as New Zealand moved to within just 50 runs of Sri Lanka on day two of the first Test in Galle.

  Latham opened with 70 while Williamson notched 55 on the way to taking the Black Caps to 255-4 at stumps.

  Sri Lanka resumed the first Test at 302-7, though just 15 minutes of play were possible during a rain-curtailed morning session. Nevertheless, it was long enough for New Zealand to bowl out their opponents for the loss of just three runs.

  Latham led the Black Caps' revival with 70 from 111 balls, as Williamson also passed the half-century mark with his knock of 55 off 104 deliveries.

  Dhananjaya de Silva looked to restore Sri Lanka's authority over proceedings when he dismissed Williamson and Rachin Ravindra in the space of two overs.

  However, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell steadied the ship, with their unbeaten stand of 59 off 105 edging New Zealand closer to their opponents' tally.

  Data Debrief: Half-century stands galore for resurgent Black Caps

  Partnerships were crucial for New Zealand in their chase, with four 50-plus stands during the innings.

  Latham and Devon Conway's opening stand of 63 got the ball rolling, while Latham and Williamson notched 73 from just 120 balls.

  The Williamson-Ravindra stand of 51 took just 84 deliveries, and it remains to be seen how long Mitchell and Blundell will last when play resumes on Friday.

• Stokes to have scan on hamstring injury before Pakistan tour

  Ben Stokes will have a scan on his hamstring injury next week with the England captain in a race to be fit for their first Test in Pakistan.

  Stokes sustained the injury at the start of August and was subsequently absent from the series win over Sri Lanka.

  The 33-year-old revealed earlier this month he was being cautious with his recovery rather than risking further damage with a premature return.

  As well as netting throughout his recovery, Stokes has also featured in this week's Celebrity Pro-Am at the PGA Championship in Wentworth.

  Despite the issue, he has been named as captain of England's 17-man squad, which is due to depart on October 1 before beginning the three-match series six days later.

• Mendis continues meteoric rise with fourth Test ton against New Zealand

  Kamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start in Test cricket, hitting his fourth red-ball ton as Sri Lanka ended the day 302-7 versus New Zealand at the Galle International Stadium. 

  Mendis struck 114 runs from 173 deliveries before being caught by Daryl Mitchell, with the tourists picking up two late wickets to keep themselves in with a chance. 

  Sri Lanka got off to a poor start with the losses of Dimuth Karunaratne (two) and Pathum Nissanka (27) to Will O'Rourke inside the first six overs. 

  New Zealand's persistence continued to pay off after lunch as they grabbed a further three wickets, only for Mendis to come to the crease and steady the ship. 

  He formed a steady partnership alongside Kusal Mendis, going on to notch 11 fours during his 273 minutes on the field before his day came to an end. 

  Ramesh Mendis (14 not out) and Prabath Jayasuriya (0 not out) were left in play at stumps on what was a promising start for the hosts. 

  Data Debrief: Mendis the man

  Mendis has set the world of Sri Lankan cricket alight since his debut, with his performance against New Zealand his fourth Test 100 in just his seventh appearance in the format. 

  To go along with his phenomenal record, he has also now scored more than 50 runs in eight Test matches too.