Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls both scored double centuries and shared a partnership of 363 as New Zealand flayed Sri Lanka's bowling to rack up an imposing 580 for four declared on the second day of the second test on Saturday.The tourists had responded with 26-2 by the close of play at Wellington's Basin Reserve and face an uphill battle to avoid being swept in the two-match series after losing the first test by two wickets in Christchurch on Monday.
Williamson also scored a century, his 27th in tests, in the second innings of that match, but Saturday's magnificent effort in the company of Nicholls was an entirely different order of dominance.After a rain-disrupted day one, Williamson resumed on 26 not out with his country 155-2 and barely put a foot wrong until he holed out in the deep in the late afternoon with 215 runs to his name.
The 32-year-old became the first New Zealand batsman to score 8,000 test runs as he marched to his sixth double century, pounding 23 fours and a couple of sixes in the 296-ball innings.
Nicholls pillaged runs at a slightly lower rate at the other end as he worked his way out of a recent form slump with his highest test score of 200 not out.