Sri Lanka checked by Vettori’s rare double

August 26, 2009 (AFP) - New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori became only the eighth player ever to achieve the double of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets as Sri Lanka groped for runs in the second Test on Wednesday. The left-arm spinner, who has scored 3,329 runs, claimed his 300th wicket when he had his Sri Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara caught at mid-wicket in the afternoon session of the first day's play.

Sangakkara had anchored the Sri Lankan attack with his 32nd half-century as the hosts carried their lunch score of 62-1 to 146-3 by tea at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Mahela Jayawardene was unbeaten on 31 and Thilan Samaraweera was on 15 with Sri Lanka adding only 84 runs in 35 overs during the extended two-and-a-half hour session.

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Vettori, 30, joins a select band of all-rounders that includes Kapil Dev of India, Ian Botham of England, Richard Hadlee of New Zealand, Imran Khan of Pakistan, Shane Warne of Australia, Shaun Pollock of South Africa and Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas.

He is already the most successful left-arm spinner in history, having surpassed Englishman Derek Underwood's tally of 297 wickets in the first Test in Galle last week.

Sri Lanka elected to take first strik