KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's cricketers are always relieved to see the back of Sanath Jayasuriya whether he scores one or a hundred.
But Mark Gillespie admits the boundary clearing Sri Lankan at least taught him a valuable lesson as his fledgling one-day international career extends to Australia.
Gillespie, like every other Black Caps pace bowler, has occasionally been treated with contempt by the bludgeoning opener during a five-match series which ends today here at Seddon Park.
The Wellingtonian's debut painfully coincided with a stock standard Jayasuriya assault in Napier last month.
The 37-year-old clubbed 111 runs off 82 balls at McLean Park, punishing Gillespie who, to make matters worse, lost his run-up.
Few onlookers would have been alarmed had Gillespie wondered if cricket really was for him after marking his arrival on the world stage with none for 64 off nine overs prolonged by seven no balls.
An upbeat Gillespie was unfazed however, figuring it could hardly get any worse.
"I identified I probably hadn't done enough training to left handers before that game -- I just kept bowling a right hander's line but I corrected that.
"It could have gone all horribly wrong for me if I dwelled on Napier. I might not even be here now if I worried about that."
So when Jayasuriya audaciously swatted his opening delivery at Eden Park into the crowd on Saturday afternoon, the 27-year-old just shrugged his shoulders, held his nerve.
Gillespie's unflustered response illustrated a degree of maturity and composure that should stand him in good stead during a Tri-Series that could see him running in to another destructive 30-something left hander, Australian Adam Gilchrist.
"Even the first over (at Eden Park), I felt quite good," said Gillespie, who stood in awe as Jayasuriya smacked a boundary before the six balls were up.
"Those two shots were pretty extraordinary. I don't really think I could have done a hell of a lot differently.
"I put a the first ball on a length way outside off stump and he's put that over bloody square leg for six.
"Then I went into 'death' bowling mode and tried a couple of yorkers to slow him down, and a couple of shorter ones. Maybe that helped in the end."
Jayasuriya, who rocketed to 70 off 44 deliveries, mistimed a pull and was caught at fine leg from the first ball of Gillespie's second over, Mahela Jayawardene was snared at slip two balls later and soon after a cramped up Upul Tharanga played on.
Suddenly at the end of his spell, the scoreboard read 8-1-19-3.
The key, Gillespie said, was not to get anxious.
"You come in with a game plan and if you've got to change you have to remember 'that's what I plan to do, that's how I was going to get him out'.
"If you bowl just for the sake of bowling, that's when you go for millions."
Rather than beat himself up, Gillespie believed when bowling to a Jayasuriya in full flight you just had to roll with the punches.
"When it's their day they're just freaks -- no matter what they do it comes off the middle of the bat."
Gillespie, who went on to leak 20 off his last two overs after Farveez Maharoof propelled him "into row 700", admitted a grudging admiration for Jayasuriya despite his propensity to mangle bowling figures.
"That's the way he bats, he's not there to nurdle it around, he's there to almost entertain the crowd," he said.
"You actually hear the groan when he get's out. It's like Brian Lara last year.
"He got out cheaply every innings, he's the key to the West Indies and you've got a crowd supposed to be backing New Zealand complaining because they've come to watch him."
Jayasuriya falls into that bracket -- when he scored 111 and 70 Sri Lanka won, when he made one and a duck, New Zealand prevailed.
Gillespie is hoping for more of the latter today and if not the experience would be beneficial with Gilchrist and England's Kevin Pietersen on the horizon.
"The Jayasuriyas, they try to make the bowler take a backward step so one thing I've learnt is you've got to man up.
"Fine, they might have hit you for a four -- it might have been a risky shot or the greatest shot in the world but you have to let me them know you're not fazed by the fact they're smashing it everywhere."
- NZPA
