April 24, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 06, 1428

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KINGSTON (Jamaica), April 23: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes Sri Lanka's top order batting is a weakness the Black Caps can expose when the teams meet in Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final.

The pitch at Kingston's Sabina Park is expected to be far bouncier than the one in Grenada on April 12 where Sri Lanka beat New Zealand, yet to reach a World Cup final, by six wickets in a Super Eights match.

And the belief persists amongst opponents that if they can remove dashing opener Sanath Jayasuriya, one of the stars of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup winning team, early they are into a vulnerable batting line-up.

“We feel if we can get through their top order we can keep it to a (manageable) score,” said Fleming.

New Zealand's bowling attack, taken apart by Australia during Friday's 215-run thrashing in Grenada, is set to be strengthened by the return of all-rounder Jacob Oram from a right heel problem, and fast bowler Shane Bond from illness.

Oram believes pitch conditions will help New Zealand make good on Fleming's assessment of Sri Lanka's batting.

“The Jamaican pitch is going to have a bit more bounce and seam than we've experienced everywhere else in the West Indies, so I know a few of the guys at the top of the bowling order are keen to extract some sort of bounce,” said Oram

“If that's the case hopefully we can expose them. I'm not saying they can't handle the bounce but, like a lot of the subcontinent teams, it's pretty foreign to them.”

However, Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene was adamant he and the rest of his side's stroke-makers would relish the Sabina Park surface.

“Like any other cricketers in the world, our batsmen love to play on bouncy tracks when the ball is coming on,” Jayawardene said.

“And we've got a very decent bowling attack to complement those conditions.”

Meanwhile, Oram said he'd no doubts about his own fitness.

“I'll be fine. It's my left foot, my landing foot and that's the one that's gets a lot of stress put through it when I'm bowling,” said the giant all-rounder.

“Three games in six days last week sent it over the edge. Rest was the potion that we needed.”

Even though New Zealand often opt for a 'horses for courses' selection policy, off-spinner Jeetan Patel will have every right to feel aggrieved if he is left out after being one of the few Black Caps to emerge with credit on Friday by taking two for 48 in 10 overs.

Patel's control was in marked contrast to that of quicks Michael Mason and Mark Gillespie whose combined nine wicketless overs cost an expensive 94 runs.

And for all New Zealand's talk of opposition top order frailties, their frontline batting is not the strongest either, with number four Scott Styris — who made 111 not out against Sri Lanka in Grenada — often obliged to perform rescue missions.

Veteran Sri Lanka left-arm quick Chaminda Vaas removed New Zealand's top three on his way to three for 33 in Grenada.

His figures included dismissing left-handed opener Fleming lbw for nought for the fourth successive time.

Muttiah Muralitharan, as he has frequently done before, then mystified the middle-order with three cheap wickets of his own.

Sri Lanka's attack on Tuesday is likely to be even stronger with unorthodox fast bowler Lasith Malinga set to return after three games out with ankle ligament damage.

Fellow quick Dilhara Fernando has an ankle problem too but all-rounder Farveez Maharoof, who took three wickets in an over last time out against Ireland, could once more provide cover.

Probable teams:

SRI LANKA: Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Chamara Silva, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan.

NEW ZEALAND: Stephen Fleming (captain), Peter Fulton, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, James Franklin, Shane Bond, Michael Mason.

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) and Simon Taufel (Australia).

TV umpire: Daryl Harper (Australia).

Reserve umpire: Asad Rauf (Pakistan).

Match referee: Mike Procter (South Africa).—AFP

Match starts at 7:30pm (PST)

Weather forecast: Top temperature of 28 degrees Centigrade (82 degrees Fahrenheit) with a chance of rain and winds up to 15 miles per hour (25kph).

Pitch report: Likely to be hard surface with plenty of bounce and much quicker than the surface both sides played on during their recent Super Eights matches in Grenada.