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Fortune absent for NZ

Mark Davies

Sri Lanka A (244-7) bt New Zealand (243-6) by 3 wkts

Consistent scoring led Sri Lanka A to a comfortable victory over a New Zealand side looking for a morale boost after their defeat in the first Test. The unnecessary loss of wickets in the final overs made the match look closer than it was.

New Zealand's failure to maintain their early momentum - exemplified by 15 overs in the middle during which they failed to score a boundary - meant that they were unable to set a challenging target. Only Roger Twose, putting his Test pair behind him with a powerful 84 from 85 balls, ever dominated, and although his dismissal - lbw to Russel Arnold - brought interesting cameos from Chris Harris and Adam Parore, New Zealand went into lunch knowing that they required a hefty slice of luck.

In the event, it did not come their way. Arnold and Aruna Gunawardene began as though they meant to win inside 25 overs. When Arnold fell in the eighth, well taken by Brooke Walker running back at mid-off, Sri Lanka enjoyed their best period.

But if Gunawardene and T M Dilshan entertained while putting on 129, they lived dangerously. Twice in one over, Chris Cairns beat the outside edge; Daniel Vettori and Harris might have picked up wickets on other days. Only Walker, running in from square leg to see the ball sail over his head for four, was culpable, but many New Zealand fielders found themselves just short of mistimed shots.

Not until Geoff Allott's return to clean bowl Gunawardene in the 36th was the partnership broken, and by then the game was out of reach. A badly-judged run which resulted in the dismissal of Chamara Silva, and late successes for Shayne O'Connor and Cairns brought the New Zealanders hope.