The Hindu : Sport : Plucky Fleming does the rescue act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 09, 2005

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Sport

Plucky Fleming does the rescue act

NAPIER, APRIL 8. New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming batted two-and-half hours with an injured hand on Friday to help his side avoid defeat in the drawn first cricket Test against Sri Lanka.

The match ended when bad light at McLean Park forced an end to play early in the final session of the fifth day with Sri Lanka, 7-0 in its second innings, chasing an improbable 302 runs for victory.

Fleming was forced to leave the crease when he was only six, with New Zealand at 77 for three, after finding it both painful and difficult to hold the bat with his left hand which had been injured in the field.

He received treatment at the ground and returned to the crease immediately after lunch when New Zealand was 148 for seven — when a match that had been heading for a draw was hanging in the balance.

New Zealand led Sri Lanka by 63 runs on the first innings, posting 561 and dismissing the tourists for 498, and seemed in no danger of losing the match when the final day began.

At 64 for two overnight, New Zealand led by 127 runs with eight second-innings wickets in hand and with the pitch offering too little to the bowlers to suggest Sri Lanka might come close to victory.

The pitch had been a batsman's paradise — the teams' first innings had occupied most of the first four days and four centuries, a 99 and two half-centuries had been recorded among 1,150 runs.

The complexion of the match changed dramatically before lunch when unorthodox right-armer Lasith Malinga, named man of the match, started a Kiwi collapse which made a Sri Lankan win conceivable.

Malinga and part-time spinner Sanath Jayasuriya ran through the New Zealand middle order, taking five wickets for 84 runs, to limit the lead to 211 with two sessions and three wickets remaining.

Gritty knock

Fleming, in pain and obvious difficulty against Malinga, stayed at the crease for 153 minutes, for the full span of the afternoon session, and was New Zealand's last man out.

When he left the field at the delayed tea break, New Zealand led by 301 runs and there were too few overs remaining in the final session for Sri Lanka to pursue a target.

Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu said he believed victory was achievable at lunch — if his team could quickly snatch the last three wickets and leave itself a chase of a run a ball.

``Although they made 561 I thought we could have some sort of chance,'' said Atapattu. ``Our main aim was to get past the follow on, which we did, and then see what happened. On this track, chasing a big target was definitely possible.''

Malinga, who took five for 80 in New Zealand's second innings, had match figures of nine for 210.

``I'm very happy with the way I bowled,'' he said. ``It was a very good batting track and it was never easy bowling out there so I was happy to get nine wickets.''

Malinga has been playing cricket for only five years, learning to bowl with a tennis ball in his seaside village near the southern city of Galle.

His sidearm action — and almost horizontal bowling arm — caused New Zealand batsmen problems in both innings.

``When someone doesn't have a conventional action it can be very difficult for the batsmen,'' Atapattu said. ``He's very special to us when he's at his best.'' — AP

scoreboard

New Zealand — 1st innings: 561

Sri Lanka — 1st innings: 498

New Zealand — 2nd innings: C. Cumming lbw b Malinga 16, J. Marshall lbw b Jayasuriya 39, H. Marshall lbw b Malinga 6, P. Wiseman lbw b Malinga 0, S. Fleming c Kulasekara b Malinga 41, N. Astle (run out) 19, L. Vincent b Chandana 52, B. McCullum c Samaraweera b Jayasuriya 7, J. Franklin b Malinga 7, K. Mills c Jayasuriya b Herath 22, C. Martin (not out) 4, Extras (b-6, lb-7, nb-10, w-2) 25. Total (in 92.4 overs) 238.

Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-64, 3-69, 4-85, 5-115, 6-128, 7-148, 8-181, 9-222.

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 17-4-38-0, Malinga 24.4-4-80-5, Kulasekara 11-2-19-0, Herath 11-4-29- 1, Jayasuriya 21-8-41-2, Samaraweera 1-0-6-0, Chandana 7-2-12-1.

Sri Lanka — 2nd innings: M. Atapattu (not out) 2, S. Jayasuriya (not out) 5, Extras 0. Total (for no loss, 1.3 overs) 7.

New Zealand bowling: Martin 1-0-1-0, Franklin 0.3-0-6-0.

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