By Chris Barclay of NZPA

Colombo, Aug 27 NZPA - Daniel Vettori became the eighth player to achieve the rare feat of 300 test wickets and 3000 runs today after Kumar Sangakkara was caught by Jacob Oram from one of the captain's balls.

Vettori's accomplishment came during the second cricket test's opening day at Sri Lanka's Sinhalese Sports Club Ground .

Sangakkara's swipe for a 10th boundary, two balls after bringing up his fifty with the ninth, ended in Oram's safe hands at deep mid wicket as Vettori raised his arms to the heavens.

Vettori's second wicket of an absorbing 90 overs play saw the 30-year-old join compatriot Sir Richard Hadlee in the pantheon of the sport's greatest practitioners.

Vettori became test cricket's most prolific left arm slow bowler in Galle last week when overtaking England's Derek Underwood's haul of 297 -- now he finds himself in the exalted company of Sir Ian Botham, Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Shane Warne, Shaun Pollock and Chaminda Vaas. Vettori's quest for the two breakthrough's he required was destined to dominate the formative stages of the series finale once Sangakkara chose to bat first -- at stumps his call was justified as Sri Lanka were well set on 262 for three.

Vettori initially made short work of his assignment, with his second ball he continued Tharanga Paranavitana's meagre series when the opener edged to Ross Taylor at slip after making 19.

But he was then made to mark time until his 16th over, the 94th ball of his 94th test, before Sangakkara's self-inflicted downfall.

Vettori accepted the adulation of his teammates for a moment, more celebrations were planned in the dressing room at stumps.

However, at the close Mahela Jayawardene had assumed the role of party pooper, the elegant right hander had constructed the type of innings Vettori's craves from his top order.

Jayawardene's unruffled approach had yielded 79 from 210 balls by stumps, fellow first test centurion Thilan Samaraweera had made 78 in similar fashion.

Sri Lanka's last specialist batsmen added 166 for the fourth wicket in Galle last week, and caused similar frustrations as they posted an unbroken stand worth 147.

That sturdy liaison gives Sri Lanka the edge as they seek to protect a 1-0 series lead.

Still, New Zealand could still reflect on a vastly improved bowling effort that curbed Tillakaratne Dilshan's influence, at least temporarily.

While it was always destined to be Vettori's day, Iain O'Brien also had an immensely satisfying beginning to a test he was at risk of missing after sustaining some fearful punishment last week.

Retained despite rumours of Daryl Tuffey test recall, O'Brien's transformation was apparent from his first over -- a maiden to Dilshan, his tormentor-in-chief.

O'Brien's economical start was not an aberration -- his first six overs cost only 10 runs -- and after lunch his tightness was rewarded a ball after he spilled a tough return catch.

Crucially Dilshan was unable to profit from his reprieve, the very next ball a leading edge ballooned to a lunging O'Brien on his follow through.

O'Brien had denied Dilshan a century in Galle though this dismissal prompted greater enthusiasm given the aggressive right hander was never allowed to replicate his explosive 92 and 123 run double during the series opener.

Dilshan exited for a tepid 29 from a pedestrian 58 balls, he struck just the solitary boundary.

Chris Martin, playing in his 50th test, is still waiting to mark his achievement with a wicket though he also bowled economically as Sri Lanka scored at three runs per over.

Vettori predictably shouldered the bulk of the overs and had figures of two for 65 from 30 overs; O'Brien had one for 52 from 16, a drastic improvement on Galle where conceded almost six runs per over.

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