14 May 2004	Friday	23 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

BULAWAYO, May 13: Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will be bidding to increase his world record wicket tally as Sri Lanka look to heap further misery on a second-string Zimbabwe team when the second and final Test starts here on Friday.

Muralitharan became Test cricket's highest wicket-taker in the first match in Harare when he surpassed West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh's mark of 519 victims. Eight wickets over two innings gave the controversial bowler a haul of 521 as Sri Lanka ruthlessly punished a hapless Zimbabwe team to win by an innings and 240 runs.

Zimbabwe, who were also whitewashed 5-0 in the one-dayers, had to field a weakened line-up after 15 experienced players made themselves unavailable in a dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, which fired the rebels this week.

"The guys are in good spirits even though we got beaten pretty well, and they're looking to this test match to improve," Zimbabwe coach Geoff Marsh said on Thursday.

"We're up against a very good side and we didn't play well enough in any areas." Marsh said Zimbabwe's batting was of particular concern. "To make 199 in the first innings and 102 in the second innings is not enough to win a Test match, we've got to get more runs," he said.

In the only change for the home side, medium pacer Blessing Mahwire has been replaced by batsman Mark Vermeulen, who was cleared to play after recovering fully from a head injury sustained in January on Zimbabwe's tour of Australia. Vusi Sibanda had been selected to take Mahwire's place before Vermeulen received medical clearance.

Mahwire was reported for a suspect action after the first Test and, although he remains available for selection, has been kept out of the spotlight. "That's the selection panel's thoughts on it," Zimbabwe team manager Babu Memen said. "He needs to be checked and all the necessary formalities have to be completed.

"The selectors feel they might as well give someone else a chance and let Blessing sort his action out." Muralitharan has also fallen foul of cricket's laws on throwing, most recently because of his doosra delivery, which turns away from right-handed batsmen.

Although the doosra helped Muralitharan reach his personal landmark last week, reports suggest he will stop bowling the controversial delivery. "People have questioned me about it," Muralitharan was quoted as saying in Colombo's Daily News.

"I have done all the tests that are required and the reports have gone to the ICC (International Cricket Council). "At the end of the day, what matters is what the report, the expert, my cricket board and the ICC say."

The paper quoted an unnamed Sri Lanka official saying the board did not want Muralitharan to bowl the doosra. "We have advised Muralitharan not to bowl the doosra," said the official. "We had also informed the team manager before he played in Zimbabwe."

Sri Lanka officials were tight-lipped about the doosra and declined requests for interviews with Muralitharan, who injured the index finger on his right hand bowling in the first Test but suffered no apparent discomfort in the nets on Thursday.

Teams:

Zimbabwe: Stuart Matsikenyeri, Brendan Taylor, Dion Ebrahim, Tatenda Taibu (captain), Alester Maregwede, Mark Vermeulen, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya, Mluleki Nkala, Douglas Hondo, Tinashe Panyangara.

Sri Lanka (from): Marvan Atapattu (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Saman Jayantha, Thilina Kandamby, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Chandana, Rangana Herath, Thilan Samaraweera, Ian Daniel, Prasanna Jayawardene. -Reuters