First Test Drawn: SL vs NZ

In a highly uninspiring day of cricket, the first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand has meandered into a draw in Colombo.

Sri Lanka resumed Day 5 at 6/424, with captain Hashan Tillakaratne unbeaten on 126 and Kumar Dharmasena on 19.

The captain was the first to go on what proved to be a difficult fifth day for both batsman and spectators, bowled by Shane Bond for 144.

Dharmasena made a gutsy 31 before he was trapped LBW by Daniel Vettori, allowing Vettori to trap both Muttiah Muralidaran and Prabath Nissanka for 0 to round out the innings at 483.

Kaushal Lockuarachichi finished stranded on 28.

For New Zealand, Vettori finished with the top figures, taking 3/94 from his 33 over.

Shane Bond took 3/97, Paul Wiseman 2/127, Daryl Tuffey 1/54 and Jacob Oram 1/62, while Scott Styris bowled just 3 overs.

New Zealand then batted for 78 overs, troubling against the spin of Murali, Lokuarachichi and Dharmasena.

Matthew Horne was the first to fall, handing Lokuarachichi his first Test wicket, LBW for 42.

Mathew Sinclair's unhappy return to Test cricket continued when he was caught by thew substitute Tillakaratne Dilshan for just 1 off off-spinner Muralidaran.

Debutant Lokuarachichi snared his second LBW of the innings with the potentially explosive Scott Styris for 16.

Jacob Oram and Robbie Hart made just 19 and 0 respectively, handing Murali wickets two and three of the innings.

For the Black Caps, master captain Stephen Fleming, whilst not playing his most inspiring innings, finished unbeaten on 69 to back up from his 274* in the first innings.

Mark Richardson, meanwhile, completed an overall match strike-rate of 29 with his 6 from 44 deliveries.

Fleming was the clear man-of-the-match.

Scores:

New Zealand 7 dec 515 (S Fleming 274*, M Richardson 85, S Styris 63, K Dharmasena 3/132)

Sri Lanka 483 (H Tillakaratne 144, K Sangakkara 67, M Jayawardene 58, S Jayasuriya 50, D Vettori 3/94, S Band 3/97)

New Zealand 5 dec 161 (S Fleming 69*, M Horne 42, Muralidaran 3/41, Lokuarachichi 2/47)

Stumps Day 5.

Cricket Web Player-of-the-Match: Stephen Fleming.

Match Drawn.

Posted by Andre