SYDNEY, 13 April 2005 — Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming completed unbeaten half-centuries to give New Zealand a 42-run first innings lead over Sri Lanka at the close of play on the second day of the second Test yesterday.
Vincent hit an unbeaten 79 and Fleming chipped in with 60 not out to help the Kiwis recover from a top-order slump and reach 253 for four in reply to Sri Lanka’s 211 when play was abandoned early because of fog at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Vincent and Fleming added 100 runs in 141 minutes in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership after Chaminda Vaas had ripped through the top order in the first half of the day. The Sri Lankan paceman dismissed the Marshall twins, James and Hamish, in the morning session then removed Craig Cumming and Nathan Astle in successive balls after lunch to leave New Zealand reeling at 153-4.
Vaas made the initial breakthrough when he trapped James Marshall lbw for 28 with a perfect in-swinger in the third over of the day.
He then dismissed Hamish Marshall for six with an off-cutter that found the edge and deflected to a juggling Mahela Jayawardene at first slip.
Vincent and Cumming steered New Zealand to 134-2 at lunch after the home team started the day on 52 without loss and stretched their fourth-wicket partnership to 83 when Vaas struck twice more.
Vaas trapped Cumming lbw for 47 with a ball that dipped on him, ending an innings that lasted more than 3-1/2 hours, then dismissed firs t test centurion Astle for a golden duck, caught at short leg by Shantha Kalavit Igoda.
Vincent, who adopted a more aggressive role while Cumming played the anchorman, reached his half-century after lunch off 124 balls and finished the session with 79 from 188 deliveries, highlighted by eight boundaries and a six.
When Vincent reached 34, he became the 37th New Zealander to pass 1,000 test runs but said he was careful not to get carried away with his achievement.
Fleming, who has been struggling for form, displayed his finest fighting qualities to reach the close unbeaten on 60 after making a defiant 41 to ensure the first Test ended in a draw.
