New Zealand stumbled to a controversial five-wicket win over Sri Lanka here Saturday in a low-scoring first cricket Test which lasted less than three days. The home side was set a target of just 119 to win after Sri Lanka's second innings ended in bizarre fashion for 170.
But New Zealand then lost five wickets as they struggled to deal with champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who took three of New Zealand's second innings wickets for a match haul of seven for 99. However, the Test will be remembered for the way the spinner was dismissed to end Sri Lanka's second innings.
The tailender was run out when he completed a single to give Kumar Sangakkara his century and immediately turned and ran back up the wicket to congratulate the mainstay of the Sri Lankan innings.
But Muralitharan did not realise the ball was still in play, allowing wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum the easiest of dismissals, while raising questions about the sportsmanship of the New Zealanders.
The Sri Lankans could claim the run out was not within the spirit of the game. But New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said it was within the law and the Sri Lankan paid the price for making a mistake. "It was pretty disappointing that it takes the gloss off what I thought was a fantastic 100 by Sangakkara, but the ball was still alive and the game doesn't stop when a player gets 100," Fleming said.
"To my mind the ball's still alive and ... certainly in the cut-throat environment of this competition it's a mistake you can't afford to make on their behalf." It was the third run out in an innings where Sri Lanka needed to build a big score with plenty of time available at the crease, after being placed on the back foot by a bizarre earlier decision when Mahela Jayawardene won the toss.
The Sri Lankan captain chose to bat on what was clearly a seamer's wicket and when they lost their first wicket in the third over it was evident he had made the wrong call.
But Jayawardene said his thinking was to give Muralitharan the last say in the match. "There was a bit of grass on the wicket but that doesn't mean you're playing only one day's cricket," he said.
Sri Lanka were all out for 154 in their first innings, and managed a slightly better 170 in the second, which is the second lowest score in Test cricket history where one batsman has scored a century. New Zealand were hoping for an earlier finish, but Sangakkara and bottom order batsmen Lasith Malinga and Muralitharan frustrated the New Zealand bowlers with their stubborn resistance. The second and final Test in the series starts in Wellington on Friday, December 15.
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 154 (C. Kapugedera 37, U. Tharanga 33; J. Franklin 3-30, S. Bond 3-43)
New Zealand 1st innings: 206 (D. Vettori 63, S. Fleming 48, C. Cumming 43; M. Muralitharan 4-65, C. Vass 3-49).
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Sri Lanka 2nd innings
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U. Tharanga c Fleming b Bond 24
S. Jayasuriya run out (Bond) 10
K. Sangakkara not out 100
M. Jayawardene c Fleming b Franklin 0
C. Kapugedera c Oram b Bond 1
C. Silva c Vettori b Bond 0
P. Jayawardene run out (Bond) 11
C. Vass c McCullum b Oram 0
F. Maharoof c McCullum b Bond 7
L. Malinga c McCullum b Franklin 0
M. Muralitharan run out (McCullum) 9
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Extras (lb 5, nb 4) 9
Total (all out) 170
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Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-44, 3-45, 4-46, 5-46, 6-74, 7-80, 8-99, 9-143, 10-170.
Bowling: Bond 19.1-5-63-4 (3nb), Martin 11-2-38-0, Franklin 13-1-34-2 (1nb), Oram 7-1-19-1, Vettori 2-0-10-0, Astle 1-0-1-0.
Overs: 53.1
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New Zealand 2nd innings
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C. Cumming c P. Jayawardene b Vaas 43
J. How lbw Muralitharan 11
M. Sinclair c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 4
S. Fleming lbw b Vaas 0
N. Astle lbw b Muralitharan 24
J. Oram not out 12
B. McCullum not out 14
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Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 5, nb 4) 11
Total (5 wkts) 119
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