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Kiwis thump Sri Lanka in opening Test

Sri Lanka's Prasanna Jayawardene, right, and Mahela Jayawardene, back, successfully appeal for the wicket of New Zealand's Nathan Astle on day three of the first Test between the New Zealand Black Caps and Sri Lanka at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Opener Craig Cumming scored 43 in New Zealand's second innings yesterday as the hosts took just under three days to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first cricket Test, to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

Set 119 to win after Sri Lanka's second innings closed on 170, New Zealand lost three wickets for two runs to slump to 68 for four midway between lunch and tea on the third day.

However Nathan Astle, with 24, and Jacob Oram, nine, shared an unbroken stand of 34 for the fifth wicket up until the tea interval, when New Zealand was 102-4.

After tea, despite losing Astle's wicket LBW to Muttiah Muralitharan without further scoring, Oram, not out 12, and Brendon McCullum, unbeaten on 14, steered New Zealand to victory.

The second Test begins next Friday in Wellington.

Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara led a spirited rearguard action with an unbeaten century as Sri Lanka was dismissed for 170 in its second innings at Jade Stadium.

Sri Lanka trailed by 52 runs on the first innings, reached 154 after winning the toss and batting and dismissing New Zealand for 206.

Sri Lanka resumed at 125 for eight yesterday, an overall lead of 73 with only two second innings wickets standing.

Sangakkara continued his innings at 63 and scored all but eight of the runs added to Sri Lanka's total yesterday.

He shared a 43-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Lasith Malinga, a record for Sri Lanka against New Zealand, in which Malinga did not score.

Sangakkara went on to add 27 in a last-wicket stand with Muttiah Muralitharan, which further frustrated New Zealand and delayed its push for victory.

His innings ended in bizarre circumstances, when Muralitharan was run out for eight just as Sangakkara's century was raised.

Sangakkara took a single from the first ball of Shane Bond's 20th over and Muralitharan, who ran to the striker's end, rashly left his crease before the ball was dead to congratulate his partner. He was immediately run out by New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, ending the Sri Lankan innings.

Sangakkara was dumbstruck, left exactly 100 not out. Sri Lanka's total of 170 was the second lowest by any team in Test history in an innings in which a century has been scored.

Sri Lanka were angry at the manner in which their innings ended but McCullum remained unapologetic.

"After [Muralitharan's] 109 Test matches you know better than to walk out of your ground to celebrate a guy's hundred when the ball's still alive," McCullum said.

"I realize they're pretty upset about it but as far as I'm concerned it was an opportunity to take a wicket. I'd do the same thing again."

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene expressed his team's disappointment at McCullum's action.

"The whole team is disappointed," he said. "Legally it was run out, the ball was alive but we play in an age where we talk about the spirit of the game. Hopefully it won't happen again. It's not the way to play cricket."
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