Wed, Mar 26, 2008 page20

• Fleming disappointed with final Test innings

  • AP
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  Stephen Fleming passed into retirement with an innings that typified his career on the fourth day of the third cricket Test against England.

  Fleming was out for 66 as New Zealand slumped from 147-for-one to 222-for-five at stumps yesterday, set a massive 553 to win by an England side that has gained a vicelike grip on the match and series.

  Fleming's half century was his 46th in 111 Tests, his second of the match and third of the series, but it brought to the fore again the qualification that has surrounded his career, that only nine times in that extensive period -- 14 years -- has he gone on to a Test century.

  New Zealand needed Fleming to do so yesterday as much as at any time in his career but, once again, after reaching his half century from 69 balls in a stylish and chanceless manner, he wasted his start and was out too soon.

  Fleming had come to the crease when New Zealand were 48-for-one, striding through a guard of honor formed by his teammates and the England players. He got off the mark with a streaky four through gully, then proceeded to play with typical poise and elegance, hitting seven more boundaries in reaching his half century in 89 minutes.

  He shared a partnership of 99 with Matthew Bell (69) for the second wicket, raising the possibility that while they might not make the 553 needed to win the match they might at least bat the five-and-a-half sessions to save it.

  Then Fleming was undone. He played back when he should have played forward to a ball from off-spinner Monty Panesar that hurried onto him and the ball carried from the bottom edge of his bat to Tim Ambrose behind the stumps.

  Fleming left the field with typical dignity, masking his disappointment, applauded by players and umpires and accorded a standing ovation by the more than 5,000 spectators who watched the fourth day's play. In surpassing 54 he had at least guaranteed he will finish with a Test batting average above 40.

  "I walked off frustrated, which has happened about 50-60 times in my career, and I did have a smile at myself that it was fitting way to go," he said. "If I'd scored a hundred it would have been an anomaly."

  Fleming's dismissal in New Zealand's first innings, after he had made 59 to steer them to 103-for-one in reply to England's 253, was a signal to his teammates to collapse and their last nine wickets fell for 65 runs.

  His loss yesterday had a similarly debilitating effect and, after helping New Zealand to 147-for-one, he saw his team slump to 172-for-five before Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum mounted a small recovery.

  SRI LANKA V WEST INDIES

  AP,GEORGETOWN,GUYANA

  Veterans Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan took three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka closed in on a large first-innings lead over the West Indies after day three of the opening Test on Monday.

  West Indies struggled to 269-for-nine at the close, still 207 runs in arrears and needing eight runs to avoid the follow-on at Providence Stadium.

  Ramnaresh Sarwan hit a respectable topscore of 80, but none of the other batsmen capitalized on starts as wickets fell at regular intervals.

  Vaas claimed Sarwan on his way to three-for-45, while world record-holder Muralitharan claimed three-for-104.

  The experienced pair got great support from Thilan Thushara, who began the slide in the morning session and ended with two-for-59.
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