|
|
|
| April 27, 2003 | Sunday | Safar 24, 1424 |
Skipper Fleming’s career-best leaves Lankans struggling
COLOMBO, April 26: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming hit a career-best 274 not out to lead the tourists to a commanding position in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka here on Saturday.
The left-hander surpassed his previous best of 174 against the same rivals six years ago as New Zealand piled up 515-7 declared just before stumps on the second day at the P. Sara Stadium.
An unselfish Fleming denied himself the chance to become the first New Zealander to score a triple century when he closed the innings to have a go at the tired Sri Lankan batsmen in the last 10 minutes.
The move clicked as Daryl Tuffey trapped Marvan Atapattu leg-before with the fifth ball of the innings to leave Sri Lanka at 4-1 before bad light halted play.
Former captain Sanath Jayasuriya and nightwatchman Chaminda Vaas were at the crease with two runs apiece.
Fleming, given three reprieves by butter-fingered fielders, batted for 11 hours under energy-sapping hot and humid conditions, hitting 28 boundaries and a six in his fifth three-figure knock in Test cricket.
The declaration also left him 25 runs short of Martin Crowe’s New Zealand record of 299, also against Sri Lanka at Wellington in 1990-91.
“The record had crossed my mind but I would have had to take some risks,” a tired, but happy Fleming said later.
“I am more than happy at getting 274. The personal side will sink in later tonight, but it has set us well for the rest of the match.
“I had always wanted us to get 500 and have a go at the Sri Lankans late in the evening. It all panned out the way we wanted.”
Fleming, who came in to bat after 45 minutes on the first day, was involved in three big partnerships that lifted the Kiwis beyond the 500-run mark.
Having put on 172 for the second wicket with Mark Richardson on Friday, Fleming added 157 for the fourth with Scott Styris (63) and 79 for the fifth with Jacob Oram (33).
Styris, who himself escaped one chance, smashed five boundaries and two sixes before he was caught in the deep off Kumar Dharmasena just before tea.
Sri Lanka’s trump card, Muttiah Muralitharan, went wicketless for 54 overs before he finally had success when Oram holed out to mid-wicket in the final session.
The off-spinner then dismissed Robbie Hart to finish with unflattering figures of 2-140 from 58.5 overs. Dharmasena was the most successful bowler with 3-132.
With six catches dropped in the first two sessions — four of them by Mahela Jayawardene in the slips — the Sri Lankan bowlers were frustrated in their attempt to curtail the New Zealand first innnigs.
Early in the day, Prabath Nissanka allowed a hooked skier from Fleming to drop in front of him at deep fine-leg and even let the ball through for a boundary.
Then when Fleming miscued another hook shot, Jayawardene ran back from slip and got under the skier, but could not grasp the difficult catch.
Fleming moved from 121 to 140 when he survived again, this time Jayawardene fumbling an edge off debutant leg-spinner Kaushalya Lokuarachchi.
Jayasuriya was also guilty of a missed chance as he spilled a catch at gully off Mathew Sinclair.
The error, however, did not prove costly as three runs later Sinclair was caught at short-leg off Dharmasena for 17, ending a third-wicket stand of 43 with Fleming.
Jayawardene, normally a reliable slip fielder, missed Styris twice on 16 and 57 to let the Kiwis off the hook.
Scoreboard
NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings, overnight 207-2):
M.H. Richardson b Vaas 85
M.J. Horne c D’sena b Nissanka 4
S.P. Fleming not out 274
M.S. Sinclair c S’kkara b ‘sena 17
S.B. Styris c Vaas b D’sena 63
J.D.P. Oram c Loku’chchi b M’tharan 33
R.G. Hart c J’wardene b M’tharan 9
D.L. Vettori lbw b D’sena 7
P.J. Wiseman not out 16
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-1, NB-1) 7
TOTAL (for seven decl, 174.5 overs) 515
FALL OF WKTS: 1-20, 2-192, 3-235, 4-392, 5-471, 6-486, 7-499.
DID NOT BAT: D.R. Tuffey, S.E. Bond.
BOWLING: Vaas 29-8-73-1; Nissanka 23-9-53-1; Dharmasena 40-7-132-3; Muralitharan 58.5-16-140-2 (1nb, 1w); Lokuarachchi 18-2-83-0; Jayasuriya 6-0-29-0.
SRI LANKA (1st Innings):
M.S. Atapattu lbw b Tuffey 0
S.T. Jayasuriya not out 2
W.P.U.J.C. Vaas not out 2
EXTRAS 0
TOTAL (for one wkt, 1.4 overs) 4
FALL OF WKT: 1-0.
TO BAT: K.S. Sangakkara, H.P. Tillekeratne, D.P.M. Jayawardene, R.S. Kaluwitharana, K.S. Lokuarachchi, H.D.P.K. Dharmasena, M. Muralitharan, R.A.P. Nissanka.
BOWLING (to-date): Tuffey 1-0-1-1; Bond 0.4-0-3-0.—AFP/Reuters
|
|
|
|
