The Island, Monday 11th December, 2006

Murali out under ‘bizarre’ circumstances Kiwis lack sports spirit – Mahela

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka 1st 154 1st Innings 206 Sri Lanka 2nd Innings (Overnight: 125 for eight) Upul Tharanga c Fleming b Bond 24 Sanath Jayasuriya run out 10 Kumar Sangakkara 100 Mahela J’dene c Fleming b Franklin 0 Chamara Kapugedera c Oram b Bond 1 Chamara Silva c Vettori b Bond 0 Prasanna Jayawardene run out 11 Chaminda Vaas c McCullum b Oram 0 Farveez Maharoof c McCullum b Bond 7 Lasith Malinga c McCullum b Franklin 0 Rex Clementine reporting from run out 8 Sri Lanka’s Performances in Tests so far in NZ Extras (5lb, 4nb) 9 Sri Lanka Mahela 1982-883 TOTAL (all out) 170 Jayawardene blamed for the lack of spir- 1st Test at Christchurch - lost by inngs & 25 runs time: 237 minutes. Overs: it in the Kiwi camp following Muttiah 2nd Test at Wellington - lost by 6 53.1. Muralitharan’s controversial 1990-991 Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-44, 3-45, 4-48, 5- in Sri Lanka’s second innings here at the 1st Test at Wellington - drawn 46, 6-74, 7-80, 8-99, 9-143, 10-170. Jade Stadium in Christchurch on 2nd Test at Hamilton - drawn : 19.1-5-63-4 (3nb), Saturday. 3rd Test at Auckland - drawn Chris Martin 11-2-38-0, With Sri Lanka’s last pair of Kumar 1994-995 James Franklin 13-1-34-2 (1nb), Jacob Sangakkara and Mural fighting hard to 1st Test at Napier - SL won by 241 runs Oram 7-1-19-1, 2-0-10-0, gain a substantial lead, the latter was 2nd Test at Dunedin - drawn Nathan Astle 1-0-1-0 run out when he stepped out of the 1996-997 New Zealand 2nd Innings to congratulate a celebrating 1st Test at Dunedin - lost by inngs & 36 runs Craig Cumming c P J’dene b Vaas 43 Sangakkara who had just completed a 2nd Test at Hamilton - lost by 120 runs Jamie How lbw b Muralitharan 11 brilliant ton. 2004-005 M. Sinclair c Sangakkara b M’tharan 4 After the top order collapsed yet 1st Test at Napier - drawn lbw b Vaas 0 again, Sangakkara with the tail-enders 2nd Test at Wellington - lost by inngs & 38 runs Nathan Astle lbw Muralitharan 24 was putting up a brave effort to give the 2006-007 not out 12 team a considerable second innings 1st Test at Christchurch - lost by 5 wickets Brendon McCullum not out 14 total. He brought up his 11th Test hun- P W L D Extras (1b, 1lb, 5w, 4nb) 11 dred with a single and having completed All-time 166 46 63 57 Total (for five wickets) 119 the first run Murali stepped out to wish Vs NZ (away) 12 1 6 5 Batting time: 133 minutes. Overs: 33. his partner and at that point ’keeper Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara signals his on Saturday. (AP) Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-66, 3-66, 4-68, 5- Brendon McCullum removed the bails 103. with Murali left stranded in utter disbe- “I remember Nathan (Astle) doing Moving away from the controversy, put his side under pressure. “They are Did not bat: Daniel Vettori, James lief. The Kiwis argued that the ball was the same thing during the Champions Jayawardene said that he was disap- always going to be tough especially when Franklin, Shane Bond, Chris Martin. still alive when he stepped out. Trophy. After completing a run he pointed with the defeat and added if the they have one of the best bowlers. Their Bowling: Chaminda Vaas 13-3-38-2 “I am disappointed and the whole stepped out and Sanath threw the ball batsmen had been able to get something bowling is one of the best in the world (3nb), Lasith Malinga 4-1-35-0 (5w), team is disappointed. Legally that’s out, back to Kumar (Sangakkara), who point- close to 250, they could’ve put the opposi- and they are an underrated side. Vaas Muttiah Muralitharan 14-5-34-3, but these days people talk about the ed out to Nathan that he shouldn’t be tion under pressure. keeps on asking questions and then Farveez Maharoof 2-0-10-0 (1nb). Spirit of Cricket and sportsmanship. It doing it. That’s the way we play the “It was a disappointing effort by our there’s Lasith Malinga, who still causes was obvious that Murali wasn’t going to game. That incident happened not too top order on both instances. Kumar problems to most of our batsmen with “He’s a quality player and has got a sneak another run and he was going to long ago and Kumar was disappointed.” showed great character. He held the his nusual action.” sound technique. I rate him as one of the congratulate Kumar,” a disappointed Fleming defends team innings together and played with a plan. The Kiwi captain also called best in the world. He shows no fears Captain said. Incidentally the New Zealand team When we didn’t have that many runs on Sangakkara one of the best batsmen in while batting and is a very dangerous won the ICC Spirit the board to defend, we played according the world. customer,” Fleming added. of Cricket award to a plan and that paid off as we man- this year at the aged to get five of their top order wick- annual awards cer- ets,” he said. emony in Mumbai. He also defended the decision to bat “It was disappointing”–Susanthika Captain Stephen first after winning the toss. Fleming, however, “Lot of Sri Lankan sides in the past Doha, defended his didn’t want to bat when they see a bit of December, 9 – team’s action. grass on the . But this side is dif- Defending “I am comfort- ferent. We try to play positively. On this champion able with it instance we wanted Murali to bowl last Susanthika although it has cre- on that wicket. He’s our number one Jayasinghe ated some talk. It match winner and we wanted to give him failed to live upto expectation would’ve been a the best possible atmosphere.” as she was real shame if that Jayawardene also backed Chamara pushed to sec- had happened Silva, who collected a pair in the Test. ond place in the when Kumar was “He’s a tough character. Not the ideal women’s 100m on 99. It was a sen- start for a guy making his Test debut, but dash while high jumper Manjula sational knock. I am sure he’ll come out of it. He’s been Kumara will One of the best I part of the side before and he knows head home have seen. It’s got what it takes time to come out of it. He empty handed best time of 11.27 secs. while Jayasinghe nothing to do with batted really well in the warm up game finishing only seventh in the men’s high equalled her seasonal best time of 11.34 us and it was a mis- in Dunedin and we want to back him.” jump final here at the action packed Al secs. to clinch Sri Lanka’s first silver take on the part of Fleming, meanwhile, praised Sri Khalifa Stadium lon Saturday night. medal at this year’s Games. Guzel Khubbieva of Usbekistan Murali,” he said. Lanka’s bowling attack that did well to Jayasinghe though returned the best snatched victory clocking her seasonal reaction time at the start suffered a heavy set back in the first 10 meters before accel- erated in the last 90 meters to finish sec- ond ahead of the Bahrain sprinter Ghasara Ruqaya. “It was disappointing,” Jayasinghe said soon after the race. “It was a terrible start,” she said adding that her recent illness had a big impact on the defeat. Jayasinghe, however said that she would claim victory in the 200m dash, in which she won county’s first Olympic bronze medal in 52 years. She also said she was hoping to run 11.10 secs. Saturday afternoon which would have given her a bag of confidence for the longer sprint on Saturday after- noon. “I was under lots of pressure this (Saturday) afternoon. Everyone expected me to win here. But I couldn’t do it today. But I am sure I can win gold in the 200m dash,” she added. Jayasinghe will be joined by Sujani Buddika for the women’s 200m dash which was held at 11.57 am Sri Lanka time. Meanwhile the scores of Sri Lankans who gathered in their numbers were dis- appointed when the medal prospect Manjula Kumara Wijesekera performed par below his potentials in the men’s high jump event.