Murali Keeps Lanka In The Hunt

Sri Lanka relied on a combined effort to record a comfortable seven-wicketvictory over New Zealand in a Group B league match and keep themselves inreckoning for a berth in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy today.

After spin ace Muttiah Muralitharan (4-23) played a key role in bundling outthe Kiwis for a modest 165, opener Upul Tharanga slammed his fourth ODI halfcentury to steer his team to victory with 14 overs to spare in a floodlitencounter at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai.

The islanders, who desperately needed to win the match to keep themselvesafloat in the high-profile tournament, had the game in control right from thebeginning with their experienced spinners exploiting the slow track to the hilt.

While Muralitharan did the bulk of the damage, Sanath Jayasuriya (2-26) andpacer Lasith Malinga (2-22) chipped in with two wickets apiece as Daniel Vettori(46 not out) and Nathan Astle (42) were the only two batsmen who could manage toget decent scores for the New Zealanders.

The New Zealand innings could have folded up much earlier but for a defiant49-run last wicket partnership between Vettori and Jeetan Patel which made thetotal look a trifle more respectable.

Their crucial stand for the last wicket fell short by one run to equal thetournament's best stand for the same wicket, held by New Zealand's Kyle Millsand Shane Bond.

Required to score at a rate of 3.32 runs per over, the Lankans got off to aflier with the dangerous Jayasuriya smashing a 15-ball 20 but his aggression wasshortlived as he fell to Mills with the score on 45.

Tharanga (56) and Mahela Jayawardene (48) then mixed caution with aggressionto put the Sri Lankans on the path to victory by taking the score beyond the100-mark.

But both of them perished in quick succession with spinner Patel plottingtheir dismissal.

From a comfortable 134 for one, the islanders slipped to 135 for threeraising hopes of a spirited fightback by the Kiwis who had pulled off an upsetwin over South Africa in their opening match.

The experienced Kumar Sangakkara and former captain Marvan Atapattu ensuredthat there were no further setbacks as they played cautiously to guide the teamto victory.

With New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan having won a match each, the battlefor a berth in the semi-finals in Group B is wide open.

The Brabourne track, which has been the subject of much discussion after astring of low scoring contests, again left much to be desired as it heavilyfavoured the bowlers, particularly the tweakers.

Electing to bat, New Zealand could never really recover from a disastrousstart which saw them lose their captain Stephen Fleming cheaply. From then on,wickets fell at regular intervals till the heroics of the last wicket pair.

Vettori played a patient innings and took the cudgels in Chaminda Vaas' lastover, the penultimate over of the innings, smashing the left arm pacer for threeboundaries and pocketing 19 runs.

Fleming, who played a match winning knock of 89 against South Africa, won animportant toss in his record-equalling 193rd ODI appearance as captain but couldnot really make it count.

After the early breakthroughs were provided by the pace bowlers, Muralitharanand Jayasuriya kept the scoring down to a snail's pace and forced New Zealand tocommit mistakes.

The Kiwis lost half their batsmen with only 82 on the board and then inchedtheir way past the 100 mark after having been in danger of being dismissed fortheir lowest score in the tournament's short history.

There was little of note in the New Zealand innings except for Astle's74-ball knock with six fours as the Kiwis struggled on a sluggish andlow-bouncing pitch which had been sprayed this morning with an adhesive in anovel attempt to bind it and make it behave better.

New Zealand suffered a big setback when captain Fleming was dismissed for aduck with just 14 on board.

The batsman was trapped in front of the wicket by Vaas in his third over.

Astle quickly read the pitch and dabbed the ball on both sides of the wicketto pick up singles. Lou Vincent (13) was castled as he tried to pull FarveezMaharoof and completely missed the line.

Hamish Marshall also threw away his wicket by slashing Lasith Malingastraight to Tilekaratne Dilshan at point to make it 56 for 3 which soon became66 for 4 when Scott Styris was dismissed caught behind for 3 off Jayasuriya.

Jacob Oram, the tall and well-built all-rounder, never looked comfortableduring his short stay of 22 balls and was bowled off his pads by Muralitharan ashe poked at the ball with a defensive bat.

New Zealand, tottering at 82 for five, then suffered their worst blow whenAstle slog-swept Murali straight to Sangakkara at the deep mid wicket fence.

New Zealand's hundred came up in the 33rd before Brendon McCullam's reversesweep of Muralitharan went straight to skipper Jayawardene. It was Murali'sthird wicket in 24 balls.

The wily Lanka off spinner then got Mills (6) leg before while Jayasuriyasent back Shane Bond to leave the Kiwis at 118 for nine in the 39th over.

The last wicket pair of Vettori, who batted sensibly, and fellow-spinnerPatel kept the Lankan attack at bay for 66 balls.

Malinga secured 2 for 22 while Vaas and Maharoof finished with a wicketapiece. But the trio was guilty of conceding too many extras through wides andno balls.

PTI