Cricket: Questions over Black Caps' tactics

New Zealand's commitment towards winning cricket was again up for discussion last night after the second day of the second test was adjourned prematurely.

Not for the first time in this series, the New Zealand batsmen showed a distinct lack of enterprise when they opted to leave the field at 4.30pm because of marginal light, wasting 16 potential overs and a royal chance to hammer home their advantage.

In supreme command of the test at 253 for four (a lead of 42 with three days remaining), the home side desperately need to beat Sri Lanka to end a dismal run of form that stretches back to last summer's South African series.

But, just as they did in Napier last week, the New Zealanders wasted no time accepting the umpires' light offer, leaving the field even though conditions improved almost immediately and allowed the sun to shine through.

At the wicket were skipper Stephen Fleming on 60 and chirpy Auckland right-hander Lou Vincent on 80, the pair combining in a grafting and unbroken 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

On a day for a couple of firsts, Vincent not only raised his ninth test half-century and his 1000th test run, he also overtook Canterbury batsman Peter Fulton as the highest run-scorer in the 2004-05 New Zealand first-class season.

Promoted to No 4 to allow more healing time for Fleming - who took a blow to a knee on Monday - Vincent was forced to play an uncharacteristically conservative innings yesterday as wickets fell around him and the Sri Lankans tightened the screws.

Left-armer Chaminda Vaas produced a couple of particularly searching spells and was well rewarded with all four wickets to fall, trapping James Marshall and Craig Cumming in front, defeating Hamish Marshall with his outswinger, and sending back Nathan Astle off the next delivery.

It was a bitter pill for Astle, the century-maker at Napier, but he could at least take solace from the fact that it was his first golden duck of his test career - a mere 122 innings.

Resuming at 52 without loss, New Zealand were limited by Sri Lanka's accent on economy and threatened by Vaas' altered approach, and appeared to be in a spot of trouble when Hamish Marshall was caught at slip at 70 for two.

However, Vincent applied himself first with Cumming and then with Fleming to ensure that New Zealand would establish a handy lead on Sri Lanka's first-innings effort of 211.

Fleming looked a shade unsteady on his injured knee at first, but appeared to loosen up as his innings wore on, bringing up his 38th test half-century off 94 balls (seven fours) and looking far more comfortable against the under-bowled Lasith Malinga.

"We're in the driving seat for sure, with that lead, wickets in hand and on a wicket that's offering a bit and with a little moisture around," Vincent said last night.

"We're in a great position and everyone knows that they can set this match up for the following two days."

Vincent was moved to defend the decision to leave the field prematurely, although his suggestion that the early-morning conditions would again prove difficult for batting seemed to contradict his reasoning.

"There was the new ball and the light was certainly a bit dodgy," Vincent said.

"If we had stayed on and lost a wicket or three we would have been criticised.

"There's plenty of time left in this game, we're not trying to win this in three days, so there's no need to rush."

* Scoreboard

Sri Lanka

First innings 211

New Zealand

First innings

C. Cumming lbw b Vaas 47
J. Marshall lbw b Vaas 28
H. Marshall c Jayawardene b Vaas 6
L. Vincent not out 80
N. Astle c Dilshan b Vaas 0
S Fleming not out 60
Extras (9b, 12lb, 9nb, 2w) 32


--Total (for 4 wkts, 85 overs) 253


Fall: 1/61 (J Marshall), 2/70 (H Marshall), 3/153 (Cumming), 4/153 (Astle).

Bowling: C. Vaas 24-8-69-4 (9nb), L. Malinga 15-1-56-0 (1w), F. Maharoof 19-8-49-0, M. Jayawardene 6-2-14-0, U. Chandana 16-4-36-0 (1w), S. Jayasuriya 5-2-8-0.