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New Zealand's cricketers may have been dead and buried but Daniel Vettori could still leave a spinner's graveyard with a slight spring in his step after Sri Lanka won the second test at the Basin Reserve here today.
Wellington's test venue has traditionally offered slow bowlers little joy and although New Zealand crashed to a 217-run defeat, Vettori claimed a slice of history by becoming the first spin bowler to claim a 10-wicket haul there.
He had the satisfaction of beating Muttiah Muralitharan to the landmark, although only by a matter of hours, after the Sri Lankan wizard eventually matched his achievement with a match haul of 10 for 118.
After a frustrating period of limited impact with the ball and ironically days after he had bemoaned the lack of assistance he received on his home pitches, Vettori's left arm orthodox deliveries were back on song. He complemented his haul of 10 for 183 by reaching 51 with the bat in a forlorn run chase, the highest score by any New Zealand batsman in a disappointing test.
Vettori, who now has three 10 wicket hauls in 73 tests, bowled just two overs in the first test at Christchurch but got through a huge workload into the wind at the Basin -- particularly after all rounder Jacob Oram hobbled out of day one with a hamstring strain -- and for once his toil was rewarded.
The 27-year-old, who had only taken six wickets in his previous 11 tests, opened up with three for 53 in the Sri Lankan first innings before completing the second best innings haul of his career yesterday: seven for 130 off 42.3 overs.
Vettori became just the fifth bowler to reach double figures at the venue since New Zealand played their first test there against England in 1929-30.
Richard Hadlee performed the feat twice while Pakistani speedsters Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram and West Indian quick Courtney Walsh -- who achieved the superior figures of 13 for 55 in 1995 -- were lethal on green tops.
The match haul was Vettori's best on home soil since the 2000 test against Australia in Auckland, when he took match figures of 12 for 149. It was his first bag of five wickets or more since he took five for 106 against the world champions in Christchurch early last year.
It was also easily Vettori's most satisfying bowling stint at the Basin considering his previous 13 tests had yielded 33 wickets at 42.75 a piece.
While naturally disappointed at the ultimate outcome, Vettori was encouraged by his performance and particularly by the fact he was having more luck with leg before wicket appeals.
Four of his dismissals followed batsmen prodding forward and being struck on the front pad.
"My whole career there's been times when you're adamant you've had decisions go against you purely because of the fact someone has lunged out," he said.
"It's more of a case now that you actually have to play the ball. That's part of my game plan, trying to actually lure people in with one that doesn't spin and hopefully it skids on."
Vettori said stretching forward with the bat protected should no longer provide immunity.
"I don't think that's an acceptable form of defence and I think they're starting to give decisions that are actually out," he said.
"With the amount of spinners bowling now umpires are realising you can't just lunge forward and hope for the best."
Unfortunately for Vettori, that's exactly what transpired when he faced Muralitharan after lunch today.
Crease-bound and beaten in flight he tucked bat behind pad shortly before tucking it under his arm and walking off, not the least bit surprised to see umpire Brian Jerling's finger raised.
- NZPA
