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| Monday, 7 January 2002 |
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Murali breaks Hadlee's world record: Lanka head for series clinching win Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from Kandy KANDY, Sunday - Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan broke New Zealand fast bowler Sir Richard Hadlee's bowling record of nine ten-wicket match hauls when he took his tally to ten as Sri Lanka headed for a series clinching win over Zimbabwe in the second cricket Test played at the Asgiriya International Stadium here today. By the close of the third day, Zimbabwe were up against it and fighting with their backs to the wall to save the Test and avoid their second innings defeat in the series, having lost three wickets for 68 runs in their attempt to wipe off a massive first innings deficit of 269 runs. Zimbabwe still trail by 201 runs with seven second innings wickets in hand and two days play remaining. At the wickets are Gavin Rennie on 26 and Andy Flower on six. Muralitharan who took nine wickets in the first innings, picked up his tenth wicket of the match in his third over when he trapped Trevor Gripper lbw right in front of his stumps as he shuffled across. The wicket gave Muralitharan, playing in his 71st Test, a match bag of ten wickets or more in a Test career for the tenth time. Hadlee performed this feat on nine occasions in his 86-Test career. Zimbabwe were pushed onto the backfoot from the first ball of their second innings when Chaminda Vaas bowled Hamilton Masakadza for nought as he attempted to play him across the line to leg. Vaas also removed skipper Stuart Carlisle for nine before coming off after eight overs with figures of two for 18. Carlisle was superbly caught by Marvan Atapattu diving to his left at square leg. There was certainly a lot of needling going on between the Sri Lankan fast bowlers and the Zimbabwean batsmen in the second innings. It was more in retaliation to what the Zimbabweans gave to the Sri Lankans when they were batting. ICC match referee Cammie Smith was seen talking to the managers of the two sides at the end of play, apparently asking the two sides to cool down. Sri Lanka went over the 500-run mark for the sixth time in their last seven Tests when they were all out, five balls after the tea break for 505. That kind of total didn't look possible when the seventh wicket - that of Russell Arnold (the last of the recognised batsmen) fell at 388. The innings received an unlikely lift from the eighth wicket pair Chaminda Vaas and Buddhika Fernando who indulged in a record stand of 111 in 163 minutes. While Vaas went on to make an unbeaten 72, his sixth Test fifty and his second in the current series, Fernando, in his first Test innings impressed one and all with a defiant knock of 45 off 143 balls (6 fours). Neither batsmen gave a chance and they nearly batted throughout the afternoon session. Fernando within reach of a maiden Test fifty made an ambitious pull to give part-time bowler Hamilton Masakadza, his maiden Test wicket, when Travis Friend held the catch at deep mid wicket. The previous record for the eighth wicket against Zimbabwe was 73 between Kumar Dharmasena and Vaas at the R. Premadasa Stadium in 1996-97. Sri Lanka lost their remaining two wickets within the space of five balls after tea, with Nuwan Zoysa being run out by a direct throw from Henry Olonga at mid-on, and Muralitharan having his stumps shattered by Heath Streak. Sri Lanka resuming at 334 for four went to lunch at 411 for seven in reply to Zimbabwe's 236 in their first innings. Streak made an early breakthrough in the second over of the morning when he won an lbw decision against Hashan Tillakaratne when the batsman offered no shot to a ball pitched slighlty outside off stump. It was the Zimbabwean spearhead's first wicket of the innings and it came in his 22nd over. Tillakaratne made 37, adding two to his overnight total. He added 63 for the fifth wicket with Russel Arnold. Friend removed Tilan Samaraweera for 17 when he had him caught down the leg side by Andy Flower attempting a glance. Left-arm spinner Grant Flower struck the most vital blow when he forced Arnold to edge a catch to slip Craig Wishart the first ball he bowled for the day. Arnold made 71 in a lengthy stay of 243 minutes for his eighth Test fifty which comprised seven fours. Flower and Friend took three wickets apiece, but overall, Zimbabwe couldn't be pleased with their fielding an area which they usual excel missing three catches. JANASHAKTHI TROPHY ARRIVES The Janashakthi National Test series trophy to be presented to the winning side in the on-going series between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe arrived at the Asgiriya Stadium in traditional Kandyan style. The trophy was brought in procession by caparisoned elephant and a nilame accompanied by Kandyan dancers and drummers. It will be officially handed over to the Cricket Board at the third Test at Galle starting on January 12. ZIMBABWE 1ST INNINGS 236 (G. Flower 72, M. Muralitharan nine for 51) SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS (overnight 334-4) M. Atapattu lbw b Friend 9 S. Jayasuriya c Gripper b G. Flower 139 K. Sangakkara ht wkt b Friend 42 M. Jayawardene lbw b G. Flower 56 R. Arnold c Wishart b G. Flower 71 H. Tillakaratne lbw b Streak 37 T. Samaraweera c A. Flower b Friend 17 C. Vaas not out 72 B. Fernando c Friend b Masakadza 45 N. Zoysa run out 4 M. Muralitharan b Streak 1 Extras (b-3, lb-1,nb-7, w-1) 12 Total (all out, 148.5 overs) 505 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-82, 3-202, 4-273,
5-336, ZIMBABWE 2ND INNINGS H. Masakadza b Vaas 0 T. Gripper lbw b Muralitharan 21 S. Carlisle c Atapattu b Vaas 9 G. Rennie not out 26 A. Flower not out 6 Extras (lb-1, nb-5) 6 Total (3 wkts at close, 28 overs) 68 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-16, 3-51.
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