James Franklin took four wickets and Nathan Astle added three as New Zealand ended its longest season on a high yesterday, sealing an innings victory in four days over Sri Lanka in the second cricket test.
New Zealand snuffed out fleeting late-order resistance to win the match by an innings and 38 runs and the two-test series 1-0. The first test at Napier was drawn.
It came after demoralizing home and away test and one-day losses to Australia.
PHOTO: AFP
New Zealand right-arm bowler Chris Martin took 6-54 earlier in the match.
Lou Vincent's double century Wednesday at the Basin Reserve set up the victory, helping New Zealand to 522-9 declared in its only innings and to a first-innings lead of 311 runs.
Sri Lanka was out for 211 batting first on a seaming wicket and threatened only briefly to make New Zealand bat again before its second innings ended Thursday at 273.
Tillakaratne Dilshan played a fighting hand, scoring 73 in two hours batting at No. 7 and sharing a 78-run partnership with Chaminda Vaas (38) to impede New Zealand's progress to victory.
Their partnership and the moderate contributions of nightwatchman Farveez Maharoof, who batted 2 1/2 hours for 36, and Kumar Sangakkara, who made 45, couldn't avert Sri Lanka's heavy defeat.
Martin's six wickets were his best figures in tests and Vincent hammered home New Zealand's advantage with his highest first-class score.
New Zealand's longest domestic international season began when Sri Lanka first arrived in New Zealand for a tour which was tragically interrupted by the Dec. 26 tsunami.
The Sri Lankan team was called home to a nation mourning the loss of more than 33,000 people, but returned to New Zealand to complete the delayed series.
In between, New Zealand played series against Australia at home and away, and was battered in tests and one-day games.
"We hit the canvas a few times this season, we got up a few times," said New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming.
"We were getting pretty groggy towards the end but we knew we had one chance toward the end of the season to give the summer a bit of perspective."
Sri Lanka was never at its best in the series and was missing strike bowlers Nuwan Zoysa and Muttiah Muralitharan.
"We have a lot of positives we can take from this tour and hopefully use them in tours to come," Sri Lankan captain Marvan Attapatu said.
English cricket's county championship started Wednesday, with the usual early-season mix of unpredictable performances, rain and few spectators.
Hampshire and Glamorgan were both bowled out on the first day of their Division One matches, while the match between Sussex and Surrey -- two of the favorites for the title -- was halted early because of the weather.
Hampshire included Kevin Pietersen in its 12-man squad, but opted not to field England's one-day star batsman in its starting lineup. Led by Australia's Shane Warne, Hampshire then slumped to 197 all out against Gloucestershire.
Jon Lewis and Mark Hardinges took three wickets each at The Rose Bowl. Only a ninth-wicket stand of 30 between Richard Logan and Simon Katich, who top-scored with 72 not out, got Hampshire close to 200.
Gloucestershire then reached 118 for two wickets, with Kadeer Ali and James Averis at the crease.
Warwickshire, seeking to become the first team since Surrey in 2000 to retain the title, bowled out Glamorgan for 198 at Edgbaston before reaching 68 for no wicket.
England spin bowler Ashley Giles, last week named one of Wisden Almanac's five cricketers of the year, took six wickets for 44 runs -- his third best performance in 11 years of county cricket.
At The Oval, Sussex reached 174 for four before the players left the field early. Mike Yardy top-scored with 44 not out, while former England bowler James Ormond took two wickets for title favorite Surrey.
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