New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2006-07
New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2006-07
Don Cameron
15-Apr-2007
At Christchurch, December 7, 8, 9, 2006. New Zealand won by five wickets. Toss: Sri
Lanka. Test debut: L. P. C. Silva.
This match came hot on the heels of the exciting conclusion of the Second Ashes
Test at Adelaide, but turned out to be a much more low-key affair. There was no grand
opera here, no packed house; it was more like two patched-up and half-strength
repertory troupes struggling to fill a provincial theatre, with most of the players
forgetting their parts... and a handful of spectators haunting the gaunt Jade Stadium's
40,000 seats.
There was some sun, some rain, and even a hailstorm - but still the match would
have ended with a whimper at tea on the third day had not New Zealand contrived to
end a gritty second innings with an ungracious act that will be remembered long after
the rest of this match is forgotten.
Hearts were beating a little faster while Sangakkara played the game's one great
innings, giving Sri Lanka hope that New Zealand might have to chase around 150.
Muralitharan had almost throttled New Zealand's first innings, and even such a modest target could have been a struggle. Then it happened. As Murali completed the easy
single that brought up Sangakkara's century - out of just 170 - some of the nearby
fielders moved towards the middle of the pitch to observe the courtesies. After touching
down for the single, Murali also strolled back to add his good wishes. But Martin
rifled in a long throw from the deep, keeper McCullum broke the wicket, and umpire
Brian Jerling, already moving in from square leg (and apparently giving a small hand
signal which the batsman did not see), gave Muralitharan out.
The New Zealanders happily accepted the run-out, and were faced with a manageable
target of 119. Jayawardene admitted Muralitharan was technically out - even though
he was obviously not attempting a run - but said New Zealand had broken the spirit
of the game by claiming the dismissal. Fleming argued that the wicket had been taken
legitimately; New Zealand's sole aim was to win the Test, and that might not have
happened had the last pair added another 30 or 40. Martin Snedden, New Zealand
Cricket's departing chief executive, made a strong defence of his team's actions.
However, it would have been to cricket's greater good had Fleming withdrawn the
appeal and allowed Murali to stay: the risk of losing was not great. It echoed
McCullum's similar act in Bulawayo 16 months before, when he had rounded off an
innings victory over Zimbabwe by running out Christopher Mpofu as he wandered off
to congratulate Blessing Mahwire on a maiden fifty: the difference was that obviously
had no effect on the result, whereas this incident might have.
Some locals argued that Murali's meander was merely the last of Sri Lanka's selfinflicted
wounds, and that the first - Jayawardene's decision to bat first - was the fatal
one. The pitch was greenish and not rock-hard, and New Zealand wanted to bowl first
anyway, with their spearhead Bond straining at the leash. Jayawardene's decision was
based on his desire to have Murali bowling last on a fifth-day pitch - but the match
never threatened to last that long. Sri Lanka were shot out before tea for 154, with
Bond and his fellow seamers doing all the damage. Martin, in his 32nd Test, took his
100th wicket (to go with a grand total of 48 runs) when he had Prasanna Jayawardene
caught at slip. Murali inspired a slump in the middle of New Zealand's reply, but a
solid innings from Fleming, followed by an inventive 63 from Vettori, gave New Zealand
a handy lead.
Then came Sangakkara's one-man resistance. Jayasuriya was unluckily run out when
Bond deflected a straight-drive from Tharanga into the stumps at the bowler's end,
then Tharanga himself was superbly caught at slip by Fleming, who grabbed the rebound
after palming the ball upwards. Chamara Silva, making his Test debut more than seven
years after his first one-day international, bagged a pair as Sri Lanka lurched to 99 for eight - only 47 in front - but with passive support from Malinga (a 50-minute
duck) and Murali (eight in 37 minutes), Sangakkara charged on to the most valiant of
his 11 Test centuries.
New Zealand stumbled halfway in their pursuit, losing four wickets for ten runs -
including Cumming, finally out after a charmed life which had seen him twice caught
off no-balls, as well as a similar escape in the first innings - but Astle steadied the
leaky ship. Sri Lanka's ill-humour was not improved by the sight of the "villain"
McCullum swatting a six and two fours to complete a tainted victory.
Man of the Match: S. E. Bond.