A superb spell of spin bowling by Muttiah Muralitharan secured a comprehensive 217-run win for Sri Lanka over New Zealand in the second cricket Test yesterday to level the series 1-1.
Muralitharan finished with six for 87 to claim an impressive ninth five-wicket haul for the year, as Sri Lanka wrapped up the Test with four sessions to spare.
They had set New Zealand the improbable target of 504, but the home side had never batted with authority in the series and the outcome always seemed inevitable.
Despite a defiant eighth wicket stand by Daniel Vettori and James Franklin who put on 96, New Zealand were unable to cope with Muralitharan's mesmerizing spin backed by Lasith Malinga's slingshot speed.
Their second innings ended at 286 shortly before the scheduled tea break on the fourth day.
But while the New Zealand batsmen failed to fire, Vettori providing their only half century, captain Stephen Fleming said full credit had to go to Sri Lanka's spectacular attack.
"The unorthodox nature of their attack was always going to pose a problem -- one of the greatest bowlers of all time and an action that's very hard to pick up makes it tough," he said.
Muralitharan picked up 10 wickets for the match for the fifth time in his last six Tests.
But the man of the match award went to Chamara Silva who overcame the disappointment of a pair of ducks in the first Test to set up Sri Lanka's win in the second with a 61 in the first innings and 156 not out in the second.
RSS