WELLINGTON: Kumar Sangakkara provided a cricket master class Sunday with an exquisite 203 to lift Sri Lanka off the ropes and put them in command of the second Test against New Zealand.

It was the 10th highest score of Sangakkara’s illustrious Test career and the 11th time he has reached 200, putting him one behind Australian legend Don Bradman for the most double tons.

Sri Lanka were all out for 356, a 135-run lead, and at stumps in their second innings New Zealand were 22 without loss with Hamish Rutherford on 12 and Tom Latham on nine.

The prolific knock was enough to make Sangakkara reconsider retirement plans, saying the idea of overtaking Bradman was attractive.

“I would love to,” he said, adding a final decision on his future would be made after the World Cup starting in New Zealand and Australia next month.

“It’s nice to get big ones especially in a game situation like this, to come back into the game from being 78-5.

“The idea was to punish the loose bowling. When they are constantly put under pressure to keep bowling those good balls and the moment when they make a mistake if that ball goes for a boundary that changes momentum.”

New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who had a close up view of Sangakkara’s innings described it as “a demonstration of how to play by a world class player.”

“He showed how good he is.”

Sangakkara, who early in his innings became the fifth and fastest player to reach 12,000 Test runs, batted for nearly seven hours and faced 306 deliveries.

It took a stunning catch by Trent Boult diving high to his left at point to send Sangakkara back to the shed after he slashed at a loose Jimmy Neesham delivery.

After New Zealand dominated the first day when 15 wickets fell, their frontline seamers Boult, Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell never looked strong on day two.

It was master batsman Sangakkara, who unusually failed twice in the first Test, who appeared determined not to go cheaply again as Sri Lanka resumed at 78 for five, 143 in arrears.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand (first innings): 221

Sri Lanka (first innings):

D. Karunaratne c Neesham b Boult 16

K. Silva b Bracewell 5

K. Sangakkara c Boult b Neesham 203

L. Thirimanne c McCullum b Bracewell 0

A. Mathews c Watling b Southee 15

P. Jayawardene c Neesham b Bracewell 6

D. Chandimal c Watling b Neesham 67

D. Prasad c Watling b Neesham 11

R. Herath c Watling b Boult 15

S. Lakmal st Watling b Craig 5

N. Pradeep not out 0

Extras: 13

Total: 356

Fall of wkts: 1-18, 2-25, 3-29, 4-58, 5-78, 6-208, 7-242, 8-189, 9-356, 10-356.

Bowling: Boult 24-3-75-2 (2w), Southee 26-3-87-1, Bracewell 24-2-93-3 (3nb, 3w), Neesham 11-0-42-3 (1w), Craig 17.1-3-55-1.

New Zealand (second innings):

T. Latham not out 9

H. Rutherford not out 12

Extras: 1

Total: (for no loss) 22

Bowling: Lakmal 4-0-9-0 (1w), Pradeep 2-0-5-0, Herath 3-0-6-0, Prasad 2-0-2-0.