Lynn McConnell
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3rd ODI: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Auckland, 6 Feb 2001 Lynn McConnell |
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Sri Lanka innings:
Pre-game: New Zealand innings: |
He took 76 balls, one ball fewer than Chris Cairns at Jade Stadium two years against India.
New Zealand was on the receiving end of a superb innings which included 10 fours and six sixes. He made a mockery of New Zealand's earlier struggle to score 181 in the 47 overs available after rain delayed the start of play.
No bowler was able to contain the classy left-hander whose strokeplay to all points of the ground was a delight in precision and timing. Included among the many gems in his act of carnage were three successive sixes from Craig McMillan's bowling.
The only one who got close to upsetting his scoring rhythm was Chris Harris when bowling in his second spell.
Jayasuriya lobbed a ball back to Harris, normally one of the most prehensile grabbers of catches, who dropped the simple chance when Jayasuriya was on 96.
However, Harris had his reward in his next over when Jayasuriya pulled a ball to mid-wicket. Normally it might have cleared the fieldsman for six runs. But Jayasuriya found the 2.01m tall Jacob Oram patrolling the boundary and he just managed to keep his balance and stay inside the rope to hold the catch.
The partnership with Atapattu told the story of the assault as their 158-run stand was scored off 153 balls.
Atapattu scored his half century, two overs after Jayasuriya was out, taking 78 balls and hitting four fours and a six.
As if further evidence of Sri Lanka's mastery was needed the New Zealand bowling figures told the story. Franklin, four overs for 38, Vettori, seven overs for 44, McMillan, four overs for 25, Oram, three overs for 16, Harris one wicket, and 5.3 overs for 33 and Martin, six overs for 26.
Jayasuriya was a one-man assault force scoring 67 off 51 balls by the 15-over mark at which stage Sri Lanka was 95/0. Marvan Atapattu was 21 not out.
Sri Lanka raced along in their chase for 182 runs in 47 overs at nearly a run a ball during the first 15 overs.
The first ball he received from left-arm opening bowler James Franklin was hit for six to fine leg while he hit another six from Franklin over cover.
Even a bowler as respected as Daniel Vettori was in trouble. He was hit for four from the first ball he delivered and Sri Lanka scored their 50 from 57 balls.
It was clinical batting in good conditions which only exacerbated the wastefulness of New Zealand's batting earlier.
Inexperienced bowlers Chris Martin and Franklin were hit out of the attack early. Franklin was relieved after his first three overs cost 19 runs while Martin bowled one more over and had none for 16, including three wides in his last over.
Vettori's first two overs cost 13 runs, and he was relieved by Franklin who switched ends.
But Atapattu, who had been very much a silent partner, greeted Franklin's first ball by square driving it for four. The dose was repeated from the third ball. With a single taken off the fourth, Jayasuriya hit the next ball for six backward of square to bring up his 50.
It took 41 balls and included six fours and three sixes. As if in celebration, he cover drove the next ball for four.
Franklin conceded 19 from the over and Sri Lanka were 83/0 after 13 overs. Craig McMillan was introduced to see if he could stem the flow for the next over and Chris Harris came in to replace Franklin.
His second ball was speared over gully for four and the next was pitched high over cover and came to a stop just inside the boundary. The next ball was a square cut for four and set a record for Sri Lanka's first wicket in ODIs against New Zealand, passing the 91 previously held by Asanka Gurusinha and Jayasuriya since 1994/95 in New Zealand.
In the rain-shortened 47 over match New Zealand finished with 181, all out in the 46th over. That it scored that many was thanks to some spirited late hitting by Daniel Vettori whose six over point from Chaminda Vaas was one of the highlights of the innings. He scored 17 not out.
But for all the effort put in by McMillan, it was an innings which ended when he was bowled by Kumar Dharmasena to a poor shot. His 75 ball innings was one of defiance for the most part with two thumping sixes, one on to the top deck of the Western Stand and one just behind square leg into the main stand.
However, he needed to stay around longer for New Zealand to ensure it maximised the total it set the visitors. But these are not normal times for New Zealand's batsmen.
The innings, at best, was again a mish-mash of missed opportunities. For its part, Sri Lanka had more effect at the top of the innings when Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa were very effective working together.
Vaas gave no hint of having been out of the game with injury for more than a fortnight. He found edges and made life uneasy for both openers and had his reward with the wicket of New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming when he had scored nine.
Zoysa earlier ended Mathew Sinclair's innings when the Kiwi opener chopped the ball onto his stumps to be out for five.
Nathan Astle looked more like himself and was just set to prosper when he paid the price for miscuing a sweep from Mutiah Muralitharan to be caught at the wicket on 33. The highlight of his stay was a sweetly struck six over long off from Dilhara Fernando's bowling.
Newcomer Lou Vincent (17), Jacob Oram (11), Chris Harris (8) and Adam Parore (2) all got themselves out when well capable of much more significant contributions. Harris was probably the least fortunate, having to dive for his ground and not quite having has bat over the line when the bails were broken. As it did cross the line his bat lifted in the air.
But the others all succumbed to the impatience that has been the hallmark of New Zealand's batting in limited overs cricket at home.
Sri Lanka's slow bowlers again proved the most outstanding hurdle for the home side.
Off spinner Kumar Dharmasena had his time in the spotlight today, bowling McMillan and James Franklin and having Vincent caught sweeping a ball to Sanath Jayasuriya waiting around the corner. He bowled 10 overs and finished with 3/33. When he dismissed McMillan it was his 100th ODI wicket.
Muralitharan took some stick in his later overs, especially from McMillan but still finished with two for 41 from his 10.
At the crease with the scored only 22/2 in the 11th over McMillan was 31 not out after 30 overs with newcomer Lou Vincent on 11. New Zealand was 96/3.
Earlier, the hope that Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming might be starting to get out of form troughs was not realised.
Astle looked in his best touch of the series. Sri Lanka looked to minimise his favoured off-side scoring options with the placement of a close point. It kept Astle wary but as his confidence grew he started going for his shots and Dilhara Fernando suffered more than most with two boundaries and a two as 11 were taken from his first over.
Then a few overs later Astle, looking the player of old, charged Fernando, depositing the ball over the long-off boundary for a big six.
McMillan, who came to the wicket with New Zealand 22/2, survived a catch which was dropped at first slip from the first ball he faced, although it was also a no ball. He left the bulk of the scoring to Astle as they put on 50 in 73 balls.
But no sooner had they achieved that than Astle looked to sweep Muralitharan and had the ball catch the end of his bat and be held by wicket-keeper Sangakkara with his score on 33.
Lou Vincent came in for his debut innings and after playing out three balls from Muralitharan had the pressure on him eased when Sanath Jayasuriya opted to take his ace card out of the attack and introduced Kumar Dharmasena.
Vincent almost undid his good fortune when attempting another sweep shot only to miss and have Sangakkara whip the bails off. It took a visit to the third umpire to check it out and Vincent had just scrambled his foot behind the crease as the bails were lifted.
Winning the toss, Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya sent New Zealand in after play was delayed for 90 minutes after rain earlier in the morning. The game was restricted to a 47-over match with 30 minutes between innings.
After 15 overs, New Zealand were 48/2 with Nathan Astle on 18 and Craig McMillan on 11.
Battling their own shortfalls in the first two games of the series, the home batsmen found Nuwan Zoysa buoyed by the return of his opening partner in arms, Chaminda Vaas and together they put New Zealand through the mill.
Mathew Sinclair cut one four in the first over from Vaas but when on five, he attempted to pull a ball away from Zoysa and chopped the ball onto his stumps. New Zealand in the fourth over was one for seven.
Stephen Fleming came in and took seven balls to get off the mark but on nine he attempted to lift a ball from Vaas over square leg. But he didn't count on a spectacular leap from Mutiah Muralitharan who rose to pull in a spectacular catch. New Zealand was in trouble yet again at 22/2.
Craig McMillan batted at No 4 and was dropped at first slip from the next ball which was a no ball. Then from the next ball he set out his intentions for the day by off driving a boundary.
Vaas bowled beautifully and several times caught the edge with the ball just dropping short of the wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene at first slip.
He was replaced after six overs, which cost 18 runs, by Dilhara Fernando who conceded 11 runs from his first over.
Zoysa also found the conditions to his liking and he conceded only 13 runs from his first seven overs.
Conditions improved with sunlight breaking through occasionally and were very warm.
However, with conditions clearing there was hope that a start could still be made before 11.30am at which time the overs start to be subtracted in order to allow a finish by 7pm.
Ground staff were starting to remove the covers at 10.55am.
Sri Lanka has strengthened its team with fast-medium bowler Chaminda Vaas back in the side after recovering from a leg injury. He takes the place of Eric Upashanta.
New Zealand has included batsman Lou Vincent to made his international debut on his home ground while Darryl Tuffey, who was called up to replace Andrew Penn, has been named 12th man.
The game is a must win situation for New Zealand who are 2-0 down in the series.
New Zealand - Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Mathew Sinclair, Lou Vincent, Jacob Oram, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, Adam Parore, James Franklin, Daniel Vettori, Chris Martin. Darryl Tuffey (12th man).
Sri Lanka - Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumar Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Mutiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando. Avishaka Gunawardene (12th man).
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 07 Feb2001 - 10:23