Sri Lankans well set for Series win

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Sri Lanka made steady progress towards setting the visiting New Zealand team a tough fourth innings target while dominating the third days play in the second and final cricket test match which continued at the SSC ground in Maitland Place yesterday.

After having enjoyed a good 182 run first innings lead the home side then batted the Kiwis out of the game by reaching an impressive 157 for 2 in their second innings. The Lankans have now extended their overall lead to a formidable 339 runs with eight wickets still in hand.

After the openers had again failed to make an impact skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena took over the responsibilities and batted with great authority before play was halted early due to heavy rain with 11.4 overs still remaining for the day.

Sangakkara was unbeaten on 64 having completed his 33rd test half century in a spectacular manner where he took a four and a six in successive deliveries from the bowling of spinner Jeetan Patel. He has so far put on 68 runs for the unfinished third wicket together with Mahela Jayawardena.

Sri Lanka of course got off to a promising start with the openers putting on 56 runs from 15.2 overs. Both Tillekeratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavithana made good starts but could not convert them into a big score.

However Paranavithana could consider rather unfortunate as he became a poor victim of another umpiring blunder.

The 27 year old left hander was progressing slowly and cautiously, looked set for his first substantial innings of the series but was incorrectly ruled out caught behind by Darrel Harper when he clearly missed a sweep down the pads.

Paranavithana had done all the initial hard work having occupied the crease for a good two hours while stroking three boundaries. This was after an overconfident Tillekeratne Dilshan had brought his downfall while attempting to hoist spinner Jeetan Patel over long on. Dilshan’s 42 ball 33 included two boundaries.

Earlier New Zealand successfully avoided the follow on thanks to some stubborn batting from their low order and sloppy fielding from the home side. Brendon McCullum should have been dismissed on 13 twice in one over but Tharanga Paranavitana grassed a catch at silly point, his second drop of the game, and Thilan Samaraweera missed a low chance to his left at second slip.

Even then it was McCullum who was the first to make his exit when he edged a Muralitharan doosra to give Mahela Jayawardene his 150th catch in Test matches. In contrast Ross Taylor stuck to a bat-and-pad policy against the spinners who received a great amount of turn and bounce.

Having added 11 runs to his overnight score in 37 deliveries, Taylor fell for a well compiled 81 and New Zealand were in real danger of facing the follow on with just three wickets in hand. Taylor’s innings lasted for just over three hours faced 155 deliveries and struck ten boundaries.

However the pair of skipper Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram rebuilt the innings and took them through safely while adding 43 useful runs for the eighth wicket. Vettori played positively while sweeping the spinners for singles and two while Oram struck three boundaries during his one hour stay at the crease.

This partnership certainly frustrated the home side before Tillekeratne Dilshan made the breakthrough following an intelligent bowling change. But the bulk of the bowling was done by the two spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath who shared six wickets between them.

SRI LANKA 
1st innings 416

NEW ZEALAND 
1st innings
(overnight 159-5)

T. Mcintosh lbw b Prasad			 5
M. Guptill c Muralitharan b Thushara		35
D. Flynn c P. Jayawardene b Thushara		13
R. Taylor c P. Jayawardene b Herath		81
J. Ryder c Paranavitana b Herath		23
J. Patel c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan	 1
B. McCullum c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan	18
J. Oram c Kapugedera b Herath			24
D. Vettori c Kapugedera b Dilshan		23
I. O’Brien lbw b Muralitharan			 4
C. Martin not out 				 0
Extras: (lb3, w2, nb2)				 7
TOTAL (all out, 77.4 overs)			234
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (McIntosh), 2-49 (Flynn), 3-63 (Guptill), 4-148 (Ryder), 5-149 (Patel), 
6-183 (McCullum), 7-183 (McCullum), 8-226 (Vettori), 9-234 (Oram), 10-234 (O’Brien).
Bowling: Dilshan 3-0-12-1, Thushara 9-2-37-2 (nb2, w1), Prasad 6-0-41-1 (w1), 
Herath 34-11-70-3, Muralitharan 25.4-2-71-3.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings

T. Dilshan c Guptill b Patel		33
T. Paranavitana c McCullum b Vettori	34
K. Sangakkara not out			64
M. Jayawardene not out			23
Extras: (w1, nb2)			 3
TOTAL (for 2 wkts, 45.2 overs)	 	157
Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Dilshan), 2-89 (Paranavitana).
Bowling: Vettori 14-2-36-1, O’Brien 8-1-41-0 (nb2, w1), Martin 5-0-13-0, Patel 18.2-2-67-1.