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The relationship between the New Zealand and Sri Lankan sides has become strained after Mahela Jayawardene last night insisted the Black Caps had broken the spirit of cricket.
Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum affected a controversial run out of last batsman Muttiah Muralitharan when the champion spinner left his crease to congratulate team-mate Kumar Sangakkara on reaching a century. Not only was it a crucial dismissal in a low-scoring game but Jayawardene revealed his side had a similar opportunity to run out Nathan Astle at the recent Champions Trophy but warned the batsman so he could regain his ground. The Sri Lankan camp is seething the goodwill was not returned.
"I am disappointed. The whole team is disappointed," Jayawardene said. "Legally, he was run out, the ball was alive. But we play in an age where there's sportsmanship, there's spirit of the game. But it wasn't shown so I am disappointed in that.
"Clearly Murali went across to congratulate his partner, who made a brilliant hundred in tough conditions. We play in that kind of spirit."
Jayawardene said if the roles were reversed, they would never have acted in the same manner. He recounted the Astle incident at the Champions Trophy: "Nathan [Astle] was doing the same thing. [Wicketkeeper] Kumar [Sangakkara] called Nathan back and said 'hey, what are you doing... the ball is still alive and you would have been out'. That's the kind of cricket we play. That happened not so long ago so Kumar was very disappointed [yesterday] and he told Nathan that."
But Fleming and McCullum remain unrepentant.
"We didn't even contemplate the spirit of cricket side of things," McCullum admitted. "It was an opportunity to take a wicket and we took it."
The wicketkeeper said it was no different to appealing for a wicket, getting a decision and then realising the batsman probably wasn't out.
"After 109 test matches, he [Muralitharan] should know better than to walk out of your ground to celebrate a guy's 100 when the ball's still alive That's the way I viewed it and no doubt I'd do the same thing again."
McCullum said there was no dissent within the team as to whether they had acted properly.
Fleming admitted the act had taken the gloss off Sangakkara's century, which he viewed as one of the finest innings he had seen.
"I'm comfortable with it. There's going to be discussion because it's such an unusual out but in one sense it's disappointing because it takes the gloss of Sangakkara's innings."
Fleming said any disappointment the Sri Lankan camp felt should be directed at Muralitharan.
"The ball had only just been released from the fielder's hand. To walk off down the wicket I felt was inexcusable, even if it was to shake someone's hand. The game doesn't stop just because someone's got a hundred - that's pure and simple.
"It's not about sportsmanship or the spirit of the game; it's a cricketing decision based on a lapse from Muralitharan."
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka
(First innings 154)
U Tharangac Fleming b Bond 24
S J'suriyarun out (Bond)10
K S'kkaranot out100
M J'wardenec Fleming b Franklin 0
C K'gederac Oram b Bond 1
C Silva c Vettori b Bond 0
P J'wardene run out (Bond) 11
C Vaas c McCullum b Oram 0
F Maharoof c McCullum b Bond 7
L Malinga c McCullum b Franklin 0
M M'litharan run out (McCullum) 8
Extras (5lb, 4nb) 9
Total (all out, 53.1 overs) 170
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-44, 3-45, 4-46, 5-46, 6-74, 7-80, 8-99, 9-143, 10-170
Bowling: S Bond 19.1-5-63-4 (3nb),
C Martin 11-2-38-0, J Franklin 13-1-34-2 (1nb), J Oram 7-1-19-1, D Vettori 2-0-10-0, N Astle 1-0-1-0
New Zealand
(First innings 206)
C Cumming c P J'wardene b Vaas 43
J Howlbw Muralitharan11
M Sinclair c Sangakkara b Murali 4
S Fleming lbw Vaas 0
N Astle lbw Muralitharan 24
J Oramnot out 12 B McCullum not out 14
Extras (1b, 1lb, 5w, 4nb) 11
Total (5 wickets, 33 overs)119
Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-66, 3-66, 4-68, 5-103
Bowling: C Vaas 13-3-38-2 (3nb), L Malinga 4-1-35-0 (5w), M Muralitharan 14-5-34-3, F Maharoof 2-0-10-0 (1nb).
New Zealand win by 5 wickets.
