Cricket: Vettori encouraged after gritty display

Scoreboard

GALLE - Daniel Vettori lauded New Zealand's bowling and fielding yesterday but knows his side needs another big effort today to even up the first innings tallies in the opening cricket test with Sri Lanka.

Vettori marshalled his limited resources expertly on the second day at Galle International Stadium as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 452. At stumps New Zealand were 87 for two.

The Sri Lankan total is imposing but it could have been much more hadVettori not led a bowling make-over that ripped out the last seven wickets for 159 runs.

Vettori, whose four for 78 moved him within four wickets of Sir Richard Hadlee in New Zealand test cricket's 300-club, then watched the Black Caps inexperienced top order avoid a collapse during the 29 overs before stumps.

New Zealand still trails by 365 runs, with Jeetan Patel in as night watchman despite being struck down by a stomach bug.

Allrounder Jacob Oram has also succumbed and was so ill he was unable to take the field, robbing Vettori of his preferred third seaming bowling option.

Oram was still listed as doubtful to bat when the team returned to their hotel last night, placing even more onus on Tim McIntosh, Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder to make a decent fist of their maiden test innings on Sri Lanka's spin conducive wickets.

Opener McIntosh is already under way, a stoic 36 from 88 balls prompting Vettori to praise his performance in similar terms to New Zealand's much-improved bowling effort.

McIntosh whose statistics from an impressive debut against the West Indies waned later last summer when the Indians arrived, battened down to construct the type of dogged determination Vettori has been craving against the new ball.

The Auckland left hander had his anxious moments against left armer Thilan Thushara but still managed to stroke a quartet of crisp boundaries forward and square of the wicket.

McIntosh also survived his 17-over initiation against Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.

The spinners looked destined to go unrewarded until Mendis breached Daniel Flynn's defences in the shadow of stumps.

Flynn's flinty 14 from 44 deliveries in just under an hour also gave the New Zealanders some belief, though Martin Guptill's effortless 24 from 35 balls ended unnecessarily when he chopped on to his stumps while pulling for a sixth boundary.

Vettori was not critical though, crediting the four-test novice for taking the initiative against a strong bowling attack.

"Whilst we bowled well, almost the most pleasing thing was how well we played the bowlers," Vettori said.

"It was always going to be difficult for a lot of our guys coming up against bowlers they'd never seen before but there's some confidence in the dressing room."

Vettori was worried after a shoddy opening day but by stumps he was cautiously optimistic.

"From where we were .... the big thing was showing some fight so to be in the position we're in, I couldn't really have asked for anything more.

"But the real key for a New Zealand team is to back up those pleasing days."

Batting into tomorrow is the prerequisite and although Mahela Jayawardene only added six streaky runs to his overnight 108, Vettori believed he showed how to thrive on a low, slow pitch.

"He's such a disciplined batsman, he doesn't take any risks," Vettori said, admiring Jayawardene's 26th test hundred.

"He almost gave us a lesson in how to play over here, the maturity you need to score big runs in this part of the world."

Jayawardene's dismissal in the second over gave New Zealand an instant lift though Thilan Samaraweera's overnight 82 transformed into a sublime 159 with 24 boundaries and only the second six of his 53-test career.

Vettori claimed Sri Lanka's top scorer as the home side flopped to lose their last four wickets for eight runs.

Jayawardene was disappointed Sri Lanka could not post a score of 550 though with Muralitharan and Mendis due to extract prodigious turn a score of 450 seemed more than adequate.

"There hasn't been too much for the spinner's yet but once there is we have two of the best in the world," he warned.

Mendis resumes on one for 26 from 11; Muralitharan, in his return from a knee injury, delivered six tight overs for seven in his first spell.

- NZPA