14 Thursday 19th March, 2009 by Steve McMorran ted in total for 197 minutes, hit- ting another four and a six before SCOREBOARD Mumbai retain HAMILTON, New Zealand he was out, caught down legside (AP) - Daniel Vettori and Jesse by rival captain Mahendra Singh New Zealand, 1st Innings Bowling: Khan 16-3-70-2 (2nb), Sharma 19.2-4-73- Ryder made centuries and com- Dhoni off Munaf Patel in the T. McIntosh c Sehwag b Sharma 12 4, Patel 18-4-60-3, Harbhajan 22-7-57-1, Sehwag 3-0- bined in a record seventh-wicket 71st over. M. Guptill c Dravid b Zaheer 14 18-0 (1w). Pollock partnership as New Zealand Ryder was 13 when Vettori D. Flynn c Dhoni b Zaheer 0 India, 1st Innings mounted a spirited comeback to came to the wicket but quickly R. Taylor b Sharma 18 G. Gambhir not out 6 reach 279 after being sent in to settled into a supporting role J. Ryder c Laxman b Sharma 102 V.Sehwag not out 22 Shaun Pollock is looking forward to the bat Wednesday on the first day of with his captain, who scored J. Franklin c Dhoni b Sharma 0 Extras: (1b) 1 second edition of the Indian Premier the first cricket test against more freely and gave the innings B. McCullum c Laxman b Patel 3 TOTAL: (without loss) 29 League after being retained by Mumbai a rising sense of authority.He D. Vettori c Dhoni b Patel 118 Overs: 7 India. Indians in an advisory role. was 70, having posted his fourth K. Mills b Patel 0 Still to bat: M. S. Dhoni, S. Tendulkar, R. India was 29 without loss The South African was a key player for after seven overs in reply at consecutive half century in test I. O’Brien std Dhoni b Harbhajan 8 Dravid, V.V.S.Laxman, Y. Singh, H. Singh, Z. stumps with Virender Sehwag on innings, when Vettori reached C. Martin not out 0 Khan, I. Sharma, M. Patel. the Indians last year but quit his three- 22 and Gautam Gambhir unbeat- his hundred. Extras: (1lb,3nb) 4 Bowling: Martin 4-1-9-0, Mills 2-0-18-0, O’Brien 1- year deal after deciding to retire from all en on 6. On Vettori’s dismissal, which TOTAL: (all out) 279 0-1-0. Toss: India competitive cricket. Vettori and Ryder’s partner- was followed one ball later by the Overs: 78.2 Umpires: S. Taufel (Aus), I. Gould (Eng). However, the franchise was keen to ship of 186 was a record for the dismissal of Kyle Mills, Ryder Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-17, 3-40, 4-51, 5-51, 6-60, 7- Match referee: A. Hurst (Aus). retain the 35-year-old’s services and stepped up his scoring and 246, 8-246, 9-275, 10-279. TV umpire: G. Baxter (NZ). seventh wicket for New Zealand Pollock was only too happy to oblige. “I still love the game and the pioneering aspect of a new team and a new concept is a challenge I’ll enjoy,” Pollock said after sign- ing a new two-year contract. “My role has evolved into that of an advisor and mentor after the management approached me with a flexible offer. “I don’t see myself as a coach. I just believe over the years I’ve experienced so many different approaches and methods in getting the best out of players, and I think my role with the Mumbai Indians is an opportunity to pass on my skills and knowl- edge.” Mumbai narrowly missed out on a semi- final berth last year but Pollock believes they are capable of reaching the last four Martin had to play out five after replacing him with India paceman against India, and lifted the hosts reached his maiden test hundred balls from Harbhajan to return Zaheer Khan. from a perilous 60 for six prior to in 270 minutes from 160 balls the strike to Ryder. He did so, as “Obviously we’re aiming to win the tour- with 13 fours. lunch to a position close to parity much by luck as design, thrust- nament,” Pollock added. “We can improve by the end of the opening day. Ryder surpassed his previous ing a long leg toward the pitch of on our performance last year and hopefully The 118 was Vettori’s third highest test score at 89 and also the ball, and a relieved Ryder and best century in test matches, moved smoothly into the 90s, tak- smashed the first ball from we can get the best out of our players. his second on his home ground of ing singles and confidently offer- Ishant Sharma’s next over for “I believe the Mumbai Indians have the Seddon Park where he made a ing the strike to No. 10 batsman four to gain three figures. He was raw ingredients to be a highly successful maiden hundred against Iain O’Brien. out next ball. franchise. The team is a very exciting mix However, there was drama Pakistan six years ago. He Zaheer and Sharma had earli- of youth and experience. when O’Brien was out, stumped reached it in 179 minutes, from er combined to wreck New “There are legends in the team - and we 139 balls, with 13 fours and a six, by Dhoni off Harbhajan Singh in Zealand’s top and middle order know what to expect from them - and on the providing a new archetype of the 78th over, when Ryder was 98. before lunch, sharing five of the cricket’s classic captain’s knock. O’Brien’s dismissal brought to first six wickets to fall as New other hand we have guys with huge poten- “Obviously when I came out I the wicket Chris Zealand faltered after losing the tial. was mindful of how difficult it Martin, the toss. “I think we’ve got a great balance to the was,” he said. “I guess there gangly New Zaheer claimed the first two team.” Zealand fast had been a bit of misreading wickets as New Zealand slumped (Cricket365.com) of the wicket. I thought we bowler who to 17 for two, Sharma took the might be able to scrap has more next three and third-seamer through to 150 but fortunately ducks in Patel a sixth to leave the home Jesse and I batted well and we test crick- side 60-6 immediately prior et than were able to get a competitive to lunch. (18) and James Franklin score.” any other Martin Guptill (14) and player. (0) to Sharma, though The New Zealand captain bat- Daniel Flynn (0) fell to Franklin was unlucky to Zaheer then Tim be judged caught behind. McIntosh (12), Rahul Dravid took a Ross Taylor slip catch to remove Guptill which was his 181st catch in tests, equaling the world record held by Australia’s Mark Waugh. Dravid reached the mark in 243 innings over 132 tests while Waugh set in in 245 innings in 128 tests. New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder cel- salutes his century against India Shaun Pollock ebrates his maiden test century on the 1st day of the 1st against India on the 1st day of International cricket test at the 1st International cricket test at Seddon Park, Hamilton, New Seddon Park in Hamilton, New Zealand, Zealand, Wednesday, March 18, Goorjian wins Wednesday, March 18, 2009. 2009. (AP Photo/NZPA, Ross Setford) (AP Photo/NZPA, Ross Setford) NBL’s top coach Bolt to run in 150-metre street race award Sri Lanka Military Academy who won gold in the 100 and Brian Goorjian, who took the 200 metres and 4x100 relay at South Dragons from wooden spoon- the Beijing Games, has agreed ers to champions in his first year to run in the inaugural "Great with the club, has won National Diyatalawa emerge champs Manchester 150" on a specially Basketball League’s Coach of the built tartan track in the city Year award. Text and Photos by center on May 17. Academy Combined team beat scored a try through skipper It will be Bolt's first Goorjian won his sixth title with M. Farook Lantra Badulla Youth RFC in the Officer Cadet A. H. de Silva. appearance in Europe this 59 votes, ahead of Townsville’s Plate final by a resounding 35 After the turnaround Uva year ahead of Grand Prix Trevor Gleeson (49) and New The Sri Lanka Military points (5 goals) to nil, played RFC scored through wing races in June and July and the Zealand’s Andrej Lemanis (42). Academy ‘A’ (SLMA) at the picturesque Polo three quarter Sanjeewa world championships in He also won the Lindsay Gaze Diyatalawa beat the vastly Grounds, Diyatalawa on Hapugaskumbura but the Berlin from Aug. 15-23. award as leading coach in 1992, 1997- "I am very excited to com- improved Uva Rugby Football March 14. kick at goal went astray. 1998, 2002 and 2008. pete for my first time in Club (URFC) by 7 points (1 The SLMA ‘A recorded a The tournament was organ- Manchester, my first time in a After a 2-2 start to the season, the goal) to 5 (1 try) in a nerve massive 128 points in the ized by the Sri Lanka Military 150-metre race and my first Dragons went on an eight-game win- tingling rugby 7’s final, while tournament. Academy headed by Brig. M. time in a street race outside ning streak and finished with a club- the Sri Lanka Military Before lemons, SLMA ‘A’ Kumudu Perera (Commandant Usain Bolt wins his first 100- the stadium," Bolt said in a record 22 wins and eight losses.