Lynn McConnell
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4th ODI: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Hamilton, 8 Feb 2001 Lynn McConnell |
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Sri Lanka innings:
Pre-game: New Zealand innings: |
Sri Lanka looked to be breezing ahead to an easy victory when 96/1 in the 14th over chasing 183 to win. But the loss of wickets, and an efficient and accurate response from New Zealand's bowlers left Sri Lanka going into the last five overs needing 30 runs from 30 balls.
However, it was always going to be difficult to finish the game with the light coming into effect and the Sri Lankan displeasure at the bowling of the 31st over was obvious from the sidelines.
There was no doubt the umpires made the right decision at the end of the over and ended the game.
That New Zealand got so close in the end was something of a minor miracle.
The Sri Lankan openers got away to another flyer but Nathan Astle offered some momentary respite from the batting assault when removing both of the main perpetrators, Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana in the space of six balls.
Kaluwitharana was first to go, trapped leg before wicket by Astle for 34 off 31 balls.
Jayasuriya looked capable of continuing his Auckland form through to the victory but on 97 he miscued a shot which flew high to Chris Martin fielding at mid off where he held the catch.
Out for 52 off 53 balls he hit nine fours and a six.
Kumar Sangakkara saw the score through to 128 when he was adjudged to have been caught by Parore from Chris Martin's bowling, although Martin's shaking of his head suggested he might not have been as convinced the batsman had touched the ball.
With the light starting to deteriorate, as shadows fell across the ground, batting looked to become more difficult.
Fleming seemed keen to press the situation to his advantage and recalled Martin and Tuffey to the bowling crease.
It was a useful ploy as Tuffey had Aravinda de Silva caught at gully by Jacob Oram for 10 and two balls later Russel Arnold was caught by Parore for a duck. Tuffey finished his seven over with two for 36.
After his earlier problems with control Martin did well during his last overs to finish his seven overs with 1/33.
Sri Lanka needed 183 to claim their fourth-win in the 35 over match and openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana scored 96 off 80 balls to give their side a flying start.
But Nathan Astle struck back to claim both their wickets for 16 runs and after 16 overs, Sri Lanka was 106/2.
Jayasuriya was quickly back into the scoring action that so dominated the third match in Auckland. His first scoring shot was six over cover from Chris Martin's bowling.
Both opening bowlers, Martin and Darryl Tuffey were guilty of indisciplined starts with wides and no balls.
Then in the fifth over Jayasuriya claimed the advantage for his side with four beautifully cover driven from Martin and then followed with a straight drive for four.
Martin was taken out of the attack after three overs for 19 runs while Jacob Oram was used to replace Tuffey at the southern end, to allow him to change ends. Unfortunately, for him and New Zealand, he conceded 14 runs to Romesh Kaluwitharana who until that stage had been a silent partner.
The 50 came up from 43 balls while Jayasuriya's 50 took 46 balls and included nine fours and a six.
The introduction of medium pacer Nathan Astle and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori did slow up the scoring rate and Astle had the satisfaction of breaking the opening partnership at 96 when trapping Kaluwitharana leg before wicket for 34 scored off 31 balls, including five fours.
Three balls later he caused Jayasuriya to miscue the ball and he chipped the ball high to mid off where Chris Martin held the catch to end his innings on 52 from 53 balls. He hit nine fours and a six in the innings.
With skies clearing brilliantly midway through the afternoon, the game was restricted to a 35-over contest.
Sri Lanka won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first.
Fleming didn't open the innings as had been suggested by selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee after the third game on Sunday, and he produced his best innings since the fourth ODI against South Africa in Kimberley earlier in the summer when he scored 85.
It was a rare sight in the home summer to see Fleming hitting out in attacking style and in such an emphatic manner. He raced to 50 off 49 balls but then began to lose partners, changing the way in which he could play and he became a little more restricted, eventually holing out in the deep long on area from Aravinda de Silva's batting.
It was the Sri Lankan spin attack who kept the pressure on through the middle stages. Mutiah Muralitharan and Kumar Dharmasena could have expected to be put through the mill in a short-over game like this. But the wickets kept tumbling.
Muralitharan picked up both his wickets, Twose (20) and McMillan (19) stumped by Romesh Kaluwitharana who equalled the world record for most stumpings in ODIs of 64 held by Pakistan captain Moin Khan. Khan had taken 185 games to achieve his record while Kaluwitharana, who was playing his first game of the series, took 153 games.
Lou Vincent fell victim to the pedestrian off spin of Aravinda de Silva. He stretched down the track to play his preferred sweep shot and failed to make contact and was given out by umpire Evan Watkin leg before wicket for a duck.
But just as New Zealand should have been looking to try and push toward 180, it lost three wickets for six runs in the space of 20 balls.
Fleming after an attacking start, slowed up and was eventually out to de Silva for 67 from 75 balls, caught at long on by Nuwan Zoysa.
From the 27th to the32nd overs New Zealand scored only 11 runs.
Finally, Jacob Oram got into scoring action from the seventh ball he faced to drive de Silva straight down the ground for six. Next ball was cut deftly for four past slip. He then hit one over long on for six more.
A quickly run two followed and then a huge six onto the grass bank over wide long on.
Twenty six runs came off the over, 24 of them to the big Central Districts left-hander.
However, he went to the third ball of Dharmasena's next over, caught at deep mid wicket by Muralitharan for 24 from 12 balls.
De Silva's earlier impressive figures were given a tickle up and he finished with 2/35 from his four overs.
Out of form in the earlier part of the series, including two first-up ducks, Fleming raced to 39 off 36 balls in the first 16 overs of the rain-reduced 35-over match. Coming in at six for one, he helped the side to 69/2 after 16 overs. Roger Twose was 14 not out.
The introduction of Adam Parore as an opening partner for Nathan Astle proved little. He faced 15 balls before launching into a ball from Nuwan Zoysa. He only succeeded in skying the ball for wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana to run around and take the catch.
New Zealand's score was 13, but the arrival of Fleming soon saw a change in the complexion of the innings.
A neatly-timed straight drive from Indika Gallage's bowling hinted that recent frustrations experienced by the New Zealand captain in his scoring were going to be addressed today.
That was confirmed in the next over when he pulled left-arm fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa to backward square leg for six.
He lost opener Nathan Astle, who had been very much a silent partner, for seven runs when the score was 42. He went in much the same manner as Parore, when skying a heave to square leg which was taken at the second attempt, by Kumar Dharmasena.
Roger Twose, playing after passing a fitness test for his injured thumb, was dropped by Kaluwitharana when on one as the wicketkeeper dived across in front of first slip Mahela Jayawardene.
After he and Fleming got their batting rhythm going by running an over of singles, Twose launched into Gallage with a four over mid-wicket, followed next ball by a straight driven six.
At the 16 over stage, New Zealand were 69/2.
New Zealand was sent in to bat after Sri Lanka won the toss on what are likely to be difficult batting conditions on a greenish-pitch in sultry conditions.
New Zealand left Mathew Sinclair out of its 13 for the game, Roger Twose came through a fitness test and will play while James Franklin is 12th man allowing Darryl Tuffey to come back into the side.
Despite comments by New Zealand selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee that Stephen Fleming would open the innings, the position will be filled by wicket-keeper Adam Parore.
Chaminda Vaas and Marvan Atapattu were left out of the side with Romesh Kaluwitharana and Indika Gallage coming in.
The teams are:
New Zealand - Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Adam Parore, Lou Vincent, Craig McMillan, Roger Twose, Chris Harris, Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, Darryl Tuffey, Chris Martin. James Franklin (12th man).
Sri Lanka - Sanatha Jayasuriya (captain), Romesh Kaluwitharana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva, Russel Arnold, Kumar Dharmasena, Indika Gallage, Nuwan Zoysa, Mutiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando. Avishka Gunawardene (12th man).
Umpires are Steve Dunne and Evan Watkin (Dave Quested 12th man).
A prospect of play didn't seem likely at 9am today, but around 11am the sun began to break through the heavy cloud cover.
Ground staff began taking the covers off the pitch and the immediate aim was to try for a start time of 2.30pm.
If that is possible, the game will be a 41-over match with 10 minutes between innings.
The latest the game can finish is 8pm.
The outfield at the ground was damp but ground staff were using supersoppers to maximise the drying quality of the ground.
No word has yet been received on the likely teams for today.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 09 Feb2001 - 02:23