Sangakkara and Malinga put Sri Lanka in strong position

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE from New Zealand

CRICKET: A dream century from Kumar Sangakkara and a frightening spell of speed bowling by Lasith Malinga enabled Sri Lanka to take the honours on the first day of the final National Bank Test at the Basin Reserve, here today.

After the Sangakkara heroics, Malinga sent back Jimmy How 26 and Stephen Fleming for no score, and then in the last over bowled Nathan Astle for 17, after Farveez Maharoof bowled Cumming for 13. Prasanna Jayawardena's catch behind the wicket to dismiss Fleming was from out of this world.Malinga had 3 for 27.

An excellent unbeaten 156 from the stylish left hander Kumar Sangakkara helped Sri Lanka to recover after they lost the top order and the the tail.

It was a great knock with wickets falling around him and like his unbeaten 100 in the second innings of the Christchurch Test, it can be bracketed with the classic centuries scored in Test cricket.

Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming had launched a personal attack on Sangakkara for his comments on the Muralitheran run out. Sangakkara instead of wasting his energy by replying, reserved it to launch a savage attack on Fleming's bowlers. And how tellingly he did it.

Not a bowler could bowl line or length to him as he stroked the ball to all areas in the park as well as over it with disdain and with every stroke he seemed to asking Fleming to keep his big mouth shut.

Sangakkara showed twinkle toed footwork, rare timing as he cut, hooked, pulled and drove beautifully on both sides of the wicket. What an innings it was and the Park stood to him and cheered lustily as he walked in, acknowledging the cheers.

He hit 21 fours, 1 six in a 192 ball batting show. It was his 12th Test three figure score and he also reached 5000 Test runs.

It dawned a wonderful day in Wellington, with the sun shinning, but as usual with a cool breeze blowing. Wellington is know as windy Wellington, but thankfully the strong winds kept away as captains Stephen Fleming and Mahela Jayawardena walked out to toss.

The wicket was dark brown, not green as the one in Christchurch and it looked a bat-first wicket. Jayawardena called correctly once again and with a broad smile on his face said: "I bat". The wicket looked full of runs and a score of 400 as going to be a match winning score for Sri Lanka, what with Muttiah Muralitheran who has instilled fear into the New Zealand batsmen being allowed the use of a crumbling wicket on the last innings.

But then disaster struck in the third ball of the second over when Sanath Jayasuriya playing tentatively got an edge to Chris Martin and was gleefully taken by Fleming at first slip, after Shane Bond had started proceedings with a maiden to Upul Tharanga.

It was nought for one and Jayasuriyas 0. It was that dreaded start again. Kumar Sangakkara was in early again and with Tharanga took the score to 27 when Tharango went caught behind by Brian McCallum of Martin. Tharanga made 7.

Then Sri Lanka suffered a body blow when Mahela Jayawardena who is struggling for runs on this tour went without disturbing the scorer when he failed to keep down a rising delivery from Martin and dragged it on to his stumps. 41 for 3. Martin was bending his back and getting bounce and movement and was proving unplayable.

Chamara Kapugedera came and did not last long being taken by Matthew Sinclair at third slip off Jacob Oram and at 81 for 4, the Lankan innings looked again in tatters.

While wickets were tumbling around him Sangakkara was standing tall and continuing from where left off in Christchurch and playing with utmost ease.

Chamara Silva who had pocketed a 'pair' on his debut in Christchurch joined Sangakkara and was like a cat on a hot tin roof looking for the single that would help him to break the hoodoo.

He was twitchy, but once he shed his early nerves, began to play cavalier style and played some amazing shots in front of the wicket. Sangakkara was going his merry way and together they took Lanka to lunch at 112 for 4 with Sangakkara on a well compiled 74 and Silva on 18.

Sangakkara and Silva steadied the innings and took it to respectability adding 121 for the fifth wicket, when Silva who was looking good for a big score was taken at slip by Fleming lunging forward to Franklin for 61 with 7 fours and one six.

Prasanna Jayawardena helped Sangakkara add 37 for the 6th wicket and was LBW to Daniel Vettori for 25. Chaminda Vaas 0, Farveez Maharoof 4, Lasith Malinga 0 and Muttiah Muralitheran 0 all went cheaply and the Lankans who were 239 for 5 collapsed to 260 all out. Chris Martin had 3 for 50, Daniel Vettori 3 for 53 and Shane Bond 2 for 85.

SRI LANKA 1st Innings
Upul Tharanga c McCullum b Martin 	7
Sanath Jayasuriya c Fleming b Martin 	0
Kumar Sangakkara not out 	      156
Mahela Jayawardene b Martin 		0
Chamara Kapugedera c Sinclair b Oram 	5
Chamara Silva c Fleming b Franklin     61
Prasanna Jayawardene lbw b Vettori     25
Chaminda Vaas c McCullum b Bond 	0
Farveez Maharoof c McCullum b Vettori 	4
Lasith Malinga c Sinclair b Vettori 	0
Muttiah Muralitharan c and b Bond 	0
EXTRAS (1b, 1lb, 8nb) 		       10
TOTAL (all out) 		      268
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-27, 3-41, 4-81, 5-202, 
6-239, 7-240, 8-251, 9-259, 10-268.
BOWLING: Shane Bond 16-1-85-2 (3nb), Chris Martin 13-2-50-3 (1nb), 
James Franklin 12-3-46-1 (4nb), Jacob Oram 3-0-10-1, 
Daniel Vettori 14-1-53-3, Nathan Astle 7-2-22-0.

NEW ZEALAND 1st Innings
Craig Cumming b Maharoof 		13
Jamie How lbw b Malinga 		26
Mathew Sinclair not out 		 6
Stephen Fleming c Prasanna b Malinga 	 0
Nathan Astle b Malinga 			17
EXTRAS (3lb, 1nb) 			 4
TOTAL: (for four wickets) 		66
Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-40, 3-40, 4-66.
BOWLING: Chaminda Vaas 4-0-8-0, Lasith Malinga 9.4-2-37-3, 
Farveez Maharoof 5-2-10-1 (1nb), Muttiah Muralitharan 4-1-8-0. 

WELLINGTON, Friday