Cricket: Black Caps get rub of the green

Steve Bucknor and Lady Luck conspired to save New Zealand's skin at McLean Park yesterday after Sri Lanka threatened to steal the first test on the wire.

On a day in which New Zealand's late-match temperament was again called into question, Sri Lankan sling-king Lasith Malinga gave his side an unlikely shot at victory, only to be confounded by some glaring lapses from Bucknor.

At 58 years and 319 days, one of the oldest umpires on the International Cricket Council's elite panel, Bucknor handed New Zealand two crucial pieces of good fortune yesterday as Sri Lanka closed in for the kill.

Having already mistakenly given Hamish Marshall not out on the fourth evening, the genial Bucknor gave Lou Vincent and Kyle Mills scarcely-believable reprieves yesterday afternoon, allowing New Zealand to stumble through to safety.

Resuming at 64 for two, New Zealand were again tormented by Malinga's haymakers and slumped to 148 for seven at lunch, before an injured Stephen Fleming and Mills helped push the eventual total through to 238 - an overall lead of 302.

Sri Lankan openers Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya faced just 1.3 overs in reply before accepting the umpires' offer of the light, leaving the series squared at 0-0 as the teams headed for Wellington.

Billed as a likely yawn-fest, the final day exploded into life courtesy of the unusual Malinga, who - after snaring four wickets in the first innings - claimed his first five-wicket bag in the second and was later named man of the match.

Malinga deceived night watchman Paul Wiseman early in the piece and James Franklin on the luncheon gong, and wrapped up the innings before tea when he ended a brave innings from Fleming.

The Sri Lankan attack took full advantage of New Zealand's second-innings anxiety, Jayasuriya chipping out James Marshall and Brendon McCullum, and Upul Chandana ending the determined resistance of Lou Vincent.

However, the home side received the rub of the green twice from Bucknor; the first when he demurred over a disputed catch off Vincent, and the second when he somehow missed a huge edge from Mills off the bowling of Malinga.

Vincent was on 37 when he struck a ball into the covers, where Tillakaratne Dilshan dived forward to take what looked like a catch in full view of Bucknor.

But with Vincent standing his ground, the veteran umpire opted to have the catch scrutinised by third official Doug Cowie and the slow-motion replays proved inconclusive.

Vincent carried on to post his eighth test half-century before yorking himself off Chandana, leaving Fleming and a fortunate Mills to drag the side to safety.

It was the proverbial captain's knock from Fleming, who was forced to retire hurt on six with a bruised left hand, but returned after the fall of the seventh wicket. However, more worrying would have been the manner in which his side struggled through the first two sessions yesterday.

New Zealand will take an unchanged squad to Wellington for the second test, starting on Monday.

NEW ZEALAND

First innings 561
Second innings
C. Cumming lbw b Malinga 16
J. Marshall lbw b Jayasuriya 39
H. Marshall lbw b Malinga 6
P. Wiseman lbw b Malinga 0
S. Fleming c Kulasekara b Malinga 41
N. Astle run out 19
L. Vincent b Chandana 52
B. McCullum c Samaraweera b Jayasuriya 7
J. Franklin b Malinga 7
K. Mills c Jayasuriya b Herath 22
C. Martin not out 4
Extras (6b, 7lb, 10nb, 2w) 25
Total (92.4 overs) 238

Fall: 1/51 (Cumming), 2/64 (H. Marshall), 3/69 (Wiseman), 4/85 (J. Marshall), 5/115 (Astle), 6/128 (McCullum), 7/148 (Franklin), 8/181 (Vincent), 9/222 (Mills)

Bowling: C. Vaas 17-4-38-0 (5nb), L. Malinga 24.4-4-80-5 (2nb, 2w), N. Kulasekara 11-2-19-0 (3nb), R. Herath 11-4-29-1, S. Jayasuriya 21-8-41-2, T. Samaraweera 1-0-6-0, U. Chandana 7-2-12-1

SRI LANKA

First innings 498
Second innings
M. Atapattu not out 2
S. Jayasuriya not out 5
Extras 0
Total (for 0 wkts, 1.3 overs) 7

Bowling: C. Martin 1-0-1-0, J. Franklin 0.3-0-6-0.