Cricket: Muralitharan strikes as NZ stumble

GALLE - A lucky Muttiah Muralitharan spun New Zealand from a position of safety against Sri Lanka today as test cricket's leading wicket taker finally made his presence felt at Galle International Stadium.

Muralitharan's three wickets on day three of the first test ensured New Zealand continued to wage a desperate rearguard action.

At the close of another rain-affected day New Zealand had at least taken the follow-on out of the equation when Jesse Ryder hit a boundary to take New Zealand past 253.

But he was out for 42 soon after, leaving Daniel Vettori to again nurse the tail.

The captain was unbeaten on 33 when bad light stopped play, Iain O,Brien three and New Zealand 281 for eight -- 171 adrift of Sri Lanka's first innings of 452.

New Zealand will be hoping the customary overnight downpour arrives on cue tomorrow to trim some more time -- and overs -- from a contest in which they've run a distant second since Chris Martin's double strike early on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka has dominated proceedings ever since, an impressive batting effort backed up by by their legendary spinner and unheralded left arm fast-medium bowler Thilan Thushara.

Between them they ripped the heart out of New Zealand's batting order, principally in the middle session as the tourists lost three for 15 to slump to slump to 195 for six.

Their predicament then worsened in the third over after tea when a sick Jacob Oram stood mystified when given out bat pad by umpire Daryl Harper for 12, the worst of the Australian official's decisions.

Muralitharan's delivery popped off the pad to substitute fielder Malinda Warnapura at short leg, who barely appealed before the finger was raised.

The spinner was also the beneficiary of two close lbw decisions; Jeetan Patel's useful 26-run cameo as nightwatchman and Tim McIntosh's sterling 292 minutes worth of resistance both ended after Muralitharan was given the benefit of the doubt.

McIntosh's departure was a critical blow for New Zealand after the left hander displayed the powers of concentration unseen since his maiden test century, the gritty 136 against the West Indies at Napier in December.

The Auckland opener was again in no hurry, taking an age to increase from his overnight 36 to 39 -- a 23 -ball process that included two painful blows from the zippy Thushara.

McIntosh's technique against the short ball was under scrutiny again when he was winged on the shoulder and then clouted on the helmet grill protecting the temple when he lost focus attempting a hook.

However, for all his technical issues, McIntosh provided the platform his Vettori has long sought as he occupied the crease for 74.1 overs, a time frame that included his maiden test fifty from 135 balls.

Through primarily defensive, McIntosh still unleashed some flawless cover drives an a crisp lofted straight drive for six off Ajantha Mendis.

McIntosh might have been eyeing a hundred on his first innings on the subcontinent but was undone on 69 when Harper adjudged him lbw despite the bat being close to the ball's point of contact.

His loss when the score was 188 came either side of Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum's dismissals.

Taylor was guilty of not capitalising on a major let off when Nuwan Kulasakera spilled his slog sweep, edging Thushara to Prasanna Jayawardene seven runs later on 35.

McCullum also looked plumb leg before wicket second ball to Muralitharan, and only cribbed a single before he chopped on Thushara.

Muralitharan, who had seven unrewarded overs yesterday, toiled hard from the Dutch Fort end to end with three for 66 from 37 overs; Oram's lucky scalp his 99th at one of his most profitable venues.

Thushara, who had a modest seven wickets at 36.40 from his seven previous tests, had three for 80 from 22 an d deserved better.

Mendis, reinstated after being dropped from last month's final test against Pakistan, was tricky throughout but also kept wicketless today as his figures blew out to one for 75 from 24.

- NZPA