Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming defied a rampant Chaminda Vaas to carry New Zealand to 253 for four, a 42-run first-innings lead over Sri Lanka when rain brought an early close to the second day of the second Test yesterday.
Vaas took all four wickets, and was sitting on a hat trick when Fleming came to the wicket to join Vincent and swing the Test back in New Zealand's favor with an unbroken 100-run partnership.
Playing in his 20th Test, Vincent reached the milestone of 1,000 Test runs as he posted his ninth half-century in reaching 79 when the rain set in.
PHOTO: AFP
He had faced 188 balls and his innings included eight fours and a magnificent six driven straight back over the head of Mahela Jayawardene.
Fleming was not out 60, also with eight boundaries, finding timely form after a disappointing season and showing little effect from the knee injury that kept him off the field for much of the first day of this Test.
The pair came together after Vaas trapped opener Craig Cumming leg before wicket for 47 and followed up the next ball with the prize wicket of Nathan Astle who appeared to glove the ball to Tillakaratne Dishan as New Zealand fell from 153 for two 153 for four.
PHOTO: AFP
It was a welcome return to form for Vaas who failed to fire on the flat wicket in Napier in the drawn first Test.
On the slightly livelier conditions in Wellington he has been Sri Lanka's most effective bowling weapon, taking two wickets on the first day and starting the second by trapping James Marshall leg before wicket for 28 in his third over.
New Zealand's in-form batsman Hamish Marshall faced just six balls before he drove at a Vaas off-cutter and edged it to Jayawardene at first slip to be out for six.
Vaas posed a constant problem and finished the day with four for 69 off 24 overs, while Farveez Maharoof could consider himself unlucky not to capture Cumming's wicket when Kumar Sangakkara dropped an inside edge.
But young speedster Lasith Malinga, who took a man of the match nine-wicket haul in Napier, failed to threaten and has figures of nought for 56 off 15.
Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu was reduced to using Malinga in short bursts to try to keep the brakes on New Zealand, and operated with a seamer and a spinner bowling in tandem.
Upul Chandana proved particularly effective without reward, giving up a miserly 21 runs off 13 overs.
But while New Zealand appear to have the upper hand after two days, the weather could count against them.
A few weeks after they prayed for rain to save them in the second Test against Australia, they now have unwanted rain forecast for the third day of the Sri Lanka Test.
Tendulkar shines again
Sachin Tendulkar struck a flawless 38th century as India piled up 315 for six from their 48 overs in the fourth one-day international against Pakistan yesterday.
The 31-year-old hammered 12 fours and two sixes in a 127-ball 123, his first three-figure score in the shorter version of the game since playing Pakistan at Rawalpindi in March last year.
Tendulkar has long held the world record for runs and hundreds in one-day cricket.
India got off to a brisk start amidst heavy security after play was delayed for an hour due to damp patches on the wicket.
Ahmedabad is the main city of the western Gujarat state, which witnessed some of the worst religious violence in the country in 2002.
first four
Tendulkar flicked his first ball for four and then tucked pace bowler Mohammad Sami to the mid-wicket boundary.
Opening partner Virender Sehwag hit seamer Rana Naved for two fours in an over as India raced to 39 in five overs.
Sehwag was run out for 29, Younis Khan getting a direct hit from short mid-wicket as the batsmen contemplated a single.
Mahendra Dhoni took advantage of the friendly batting conditions, fiercely cutting the Pakistani bowlers through the off-side, while Tendulkar forged on from the other end to raise his 50 with a single to long-off.
Dhoni (47) smashed leg spinner Danish Kaneria for a six over long-off before he was caught behind down the leg side off Shoaib Malik. The second-wicket partnership was worth 129.
One of Tendulkar's sixes soared over long-on and landed on the head of an unsuspecting TV cameraman, who had to be taken off his post.
Tendulkar got to his century off 104 balls but the had to bat with a runner because he had cramps brought on by the intense heat.
Captain Saurav Ganguly, booed all the way to the crease due to his poor batting form, scored a shaky 33-ball 18 before he was run out while attempting a needless single to short fine-leg.
Yuvraj Singh struck some lusty blows in his 26-ball cameo of 35 to take India past 300.
India lead the six-match series 2-1.
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