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By Sa'adi Thawfeeq

New Zealand gained some useful batting practice ahead of Friday's first cricket Test against Sri Lanka with opener Mark Richardson making the most of a slow and placid NCC batting strip to graft out a century.

Richardson joined Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene in completing a century as this two-day game ended in an inevitable draw. Replying to the Sri Lanka Board XI's total of 258, New Zealand made 396 all out.

Unbeaten on 26 overnight, the 31-year-old left-hander from Hawke's Bay, took 204 minutes and 154 balls to complete his half-century with six fours, and then displaying some enterprise, reached his second fifty in only 72 minutes off 65 balls, inclusive of 11 fours. He completed his century with four consecutive fours off spinner Muthumudalige Pushpakumara who conceded 16 runs in his 16th over.

A hallmark of Richardson's innings was that he was prepared to wait for the loose balls to score his runs and allowed his captain Fleming to dominate a second wicket stand which produced 99 off 178 balls. With a triple century in first-class cricket and a batting average of over 40 in Tests, Richardson's early tour form must have pleased the New Zealand camp. He showed he had the resilience to last it out in the oppressive heat and humid conditions batting for 282 minutes before finally retiring himself out at 106, at the afternoon drinks break to allow the rest of his team mates a hit in the middle. He faced 220 balls hitting 18 fours overall.

Fleming scored 69 off 89 balls in 110 minutes striking 13 fours and a six and New Zealand had reason to feel happy with the performance of their top order batting as Matt Horne also joined the run parade with 48 in a stay of two hours.

Scott Styris with a World Cup century under his belt against Sri Lanka also made runs being last out for 64 scored off 82 balls inclusive of seven fours and two sixes while the big made Daryl Tuffey enlivened the innings with a spontaneous 21 not out off six balls which comprised five fours.

The Board XI fast bowlers were guilty of being wayward and not making the batsmen play at every ball which only made their task much harder on a pitch that did not afford them much assistance.

The opening day of the match was dominated by Mahela Jayawardene who made full use of the opportunity provided him by the selection panel to bat himself out of the rut he had fallen into during the World Cup.

Jayawardene proved the age old saying that class is permanent, but form is temporary by stroking his way to a marvellous hundred. It was chanceless and was a typical Jayawardene innings, full of strokes played all round the wicket once he had settled down and got his eye in.

"I was more relaxed yesterday (Saturday). There was no urgency to get runs as in a one-day game so I took time over my innings," said Jayawardene.

He seemed relieved after his innings and said: "I am very happy to be back in the runs again".

Speaking about his poor form Jayawardene said: "I couldn't put a finger on what went wrong. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to think of what went wrong. The three-week break after the World Cup gave me the chance to get back to my basics. I worked hard at my game".

The fluent right-hander struck 15 fours and two sixes in a stay of 204 minutes for 108 and faced 136 balls. It was an innings which put him back on track for a place in the first Test starting at the Sara Stadium on Friday.

Also among the runs was Board XI captain Romesh Kaluwitharana who made a rather sedate 55 off 98 balls with nine fours and a six before falling lbw attempting to pull a Daryl Tuffey delivery across the line. Jayawardene and Kaluwitharana put together a partnership of 131 in 30 overs for the fourth wicket, after New Zealand's new ball bowlers Tuffey and Shane Bond had made early inroads into the Board XI batting by reducing them to 35-3 in the ninth over. Arnold, Dilshan and Vandort all went edging catches behind the wicket and after the Jayawardene-Kaluwitharana liaison, New Zealand hit back through Tuffey and Bond to capture the last six wickets for 92 runs with only young Farveez Mahroof making some sort of an impression.

Mahroof looked a promising prospect for the future. He proved to be a hard-hitter with a penchant to score most of his runs on the leg side. He was unfortunate to trod on his stumps after making 22 off 40 balls which included three fours off a Vettori over. He also generated a lot of pace bowling at right-arm and was duly rewarded with the prized wicket of the New Zealand captain Fleming who mistimed a pull to Chamara Silva at mid wicket. His second spell produced figures of one for 18 off six overs with two maidens. He later finished the innings off with the wicket of Styris.

Tuffey was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers finishing with figures of five for 54, while Bond ended up with three taken at a cost of 52 runs. Both sides opted to have 12 players a side, but only 11 took the field with the bowling and batting being rotated.

BCCSL BOARD PRESIDENT'S XI

1ST INNINGS

R.P. Arnold c Sinclair b Tuffey            4

M.G. van Dort c Fleming b Tuffey      25

T.M. Dilshan c Fleming b Bond            4

D.P.M. Jayawardene c Horne b Bond 108

R.S. Kaluwitharana lbw b Tuffey        55

L.P.C. Silva c Fleming b Tuffey           4

M. Pushpakumara c Hart b Vettori       2

M.S.R. Wijeratne c Sinclair b Oram      0

K.H.R.K. Fernando c Horne b Bond     20

M.F. Mahroof ht wkt b Tuffey           22

K.A.D.M. Fernando not out                1

Extras (lb-5, nb-8)                         13

Total (all out, 64.5 overs, 254 mins) 258

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-31, 3-35, 4-166, 5-174, 6-181, 7-182, 8-230, 9-235, 10-258. Bowling: Tuffey 14.5-1-54-5, Bond 15-3-52-3, Oram 9-1-48-1, Styris 2-2-0-0, Wiseman 10-1-49-0, Vettori 14-2-50-1.

NEW ZEALANDERS 1ST INNINGS

M.H. Richardson retd out                     106

M.J. Horne lbw b Gamage                      48

S.P. Fleming c C. Silva b Mahroof            69

M.S. Sinclair c and b Arnold                   29

R.A. Jones st K'witharana b Jayawardene 14

S.B. Styris c S. Wijeratne b Mahroof       64

J.D.P. Oram b D. Fernando                     14

R.G. Hart b Gamage                               2

D.L. Vettori lbw b D. Fernando                 6

P.J. Wiseman lbw b D. Fernando               5

D.R. Tuffey not out                              21

Extras (b-2, lb-6, nb-10)                       18

Total (all out, 107.5 overs, 454 mins)     396

Fall of wickets: 1-88, 2-187, 3-249, 4-275, 5-291, 6-331, 7-345, 8-352, 9-362, 10-396.

Bowling: Gamage 20-4-57-2, D. Fernando 20-3-66-3, Mahroof 13.5-4-56-2, H.Fernando 12-1-68-0 (1nb), Pushpakumara 20-4-84-0, Arnold 12-2-33-1, Dilshan 3-0-13-0, C. Silva 1-0-2-0, Jayawardene 6-2-9-1.

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