Mason tames his tormentors

Mangatainoka's Michael Mason made the journey from cricket's outhouse to the penthouse at Jade Stadium this week ? albeit with an inopportune toilet stop along the way.
The New Zealand pace bowler could have been forgiven for locking himself behind closed doors in McLean Park last Thursday when Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya multi-tasked by inflating his average and deflating Mason's confidence at the same time.
But five days later there was no slight on his character, no sideways glances when Mason asked to be excused after nine miserly and penetrating overs.
Indeed the 32-year-old could blame an untimely call of nature for potentially depriving him a maiden five-wicket bag in one-day cricket.
He had to settle for four for 24, comfortably the best return of an intermittent 11-match career, and a blessed effort that proved beneficial on two levels.
Initially, it paved the way for New Zealand to take a 2-1 series lead over the Sri Lankans with a stuttering four-wicket victory, and Mason was also able to push his nightmarish 0-60 off six overs in Napier into the back of his mind.
Clearly relieved at his improvement during his last two outings, Mason couldn't quite mask his sheepishness when quizzed on why he didn't complete his full allocation.
Although three rain delays shortened the match to 46 overs per side yesterday, a New Zealand bowler was still eligible to deliver 10 overs ? and given his golden arm Mason seemed the obvious candidate despite Shane Bond being back in action for the first time in the series.
Captain Daniel Vettori agreed before realising Mason was already indisposed.
"It was my fault," he said.
"I told Macey to bowl nine but when we ran out (Mahela) Jayawardene I thought he might as well have a crack at going through. I let Mace know just a little too late."
Ultimately no Black Caps bowler needed to bowl out as the Sri Lankan innings foundered, listed then submerged all in 35.2 overs. Their paltry 112 represented a new low in 28 years of competition against New Zealand, erasing the 114 for nine at Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, in 1984-85.
The tourists' batting was a radical turnaround from that stunning assault in Napier which amassed 286 in just 40 overs and no one appreciated the downward spiral more than Mason.
"I'm really stoked. The first game I thought I was in reasonable areas but Jayasuriya, he just took it (confidence) away from everyone."
Mason absorbed the bulk of the punishment as Jayasuriya raced to 111, but rather than wallow in self-pity or seek help from the team psychologist he preferred to glance at the video analyst's computer ? and look pretty much at himself.
"I go and look at the computer but you pretty much already know. You're right behind the ball you know if it's not come out right ? and you've only got yourself to blame."
There was no shortage of finger pointing in the mirrors yesterday after both sides produced an embarrassing display of inept batsmanship.
Jayawardene insisted only Jayasuriya was absolved from blame after he edged a Bond beauty to Brendon McCullum second ball; the rest of the batsmen played a part in their own downfall.
Mason was a tad fortunate to claim a loose Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara at square leg while he had McCullum's athleticism to thank for snaring Upul Tharanga's edge from a short ball heading down leg.
"Only one good ball got us out ? Sanath got a peach from Bond but the other wickets, the way we batted, was ordinary," said Jayawardene, who was run out for one.
Vettori admitted the successful chase, completed with 21.3 overs to spare, was also sloppy after the top and middle order plunged New Zealand into strife at 70 for six before Peter Fulton (43) and James Franklin (15) reached the Duckworth-Lewis amended target of 110.
"If you look at our performance we were probably too aggressive in trying to chase down a small total," he admitted.
A continuation of New Zealand's fragile batting encouraged Jayawardene ahead of the penultimate game in Auckland on Saturday ? a match his side must win to force a decider in Hamilton on Tuesday.
"They're not playing smart cricket either. We shouldn't have been even close to getting six wickets on that pitch."- NZPA