SYDNEY, 15 April 2005 — New Zealand crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 38 runs yesterday to win the second and final Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Stephen Fleming’s side wrapped up a comfortable victory with a day to spare to clinch the two-match series 1-0 after last week’s first Test in Napier ended in a draw.

The Sri Lankans needed to make at least 311 to make the Kiwis bat a second time but could only manage 273 despite a defiant 73 from middle-order batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan.

The visitors started the day one wicket down and were all out after tea to leave the Kiwis to celebrate their first win of a difficult summer that included a heavy series loss to the Australians.

“This puts things a bit more into perspective,” Fleming said. “We’ve hit the canvas a few times this summer but we knew we had one chance to show we do have a good side.

“That was the goal of this series and it was rewarding... it’s also special for the young guys who’ve only experienced Test defeats.”

Left-arm paceman James Franklin captured four wickets while part-time seamer Nathan Astle chipped in with three important dismissals and Chris Martin finished with seven victims for the match. Lou Vincent was the unanimous choice as man of the match after making a career-best 224, the seventh highest score by a New Zealander in a test, to help his team amass a huge total of 522-9.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of saving the match were dealt an early blow when they lost two vital wickets in morning session followed by another four between lunch and tea.

Franklin struck in the 11th over of the day when he dismissed Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu for 16, caught by Fleming at first slip.

Nightwatchman Farveez Maharoof offered some stubborn resistance, batting more than two and a half hours before he finally fell for 36, caught in the slips by Astle off Kyle Mills.

The tourists went to lunch in trouble at 106-3 and there was no reprieve after the resumption as the Kiwis closed in for the kill.

“We were just happy to be in a commanding position and enjoyed the fact we had a team under pressure for once,” Fleming said.

Franklin removed Mahela Jayawardene for 13, caught by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, then clean bowled Kumar Sangakkara for 45. Thilan Samaraweera departed for 17 when he edged Astle to Fleming then McCullum held a diving catch to his right to send Test debutant Shantha Kalavitigoda on his way for one and give Mills his second wicket. Dilshan reached his half-century off 71 balls and blasted 10 boundaries and six to get to 73 but ran out patience and was bowled trying to whack Astle out of the ground.

Astle also shattered Upul Chandana’s stumps for eight before Franklin finished off the match when Chaminda Vaas played on for 38.

The tour was originally scheduled for January but was postponed because of the tsunami that devastated parts of Sri Lanka. The one-day series was also postponed and will be played next summer.

Flower Slams Streak Over Zimbabwe Return

In London, former Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower has criticized the return to international cricket of Heath Streak, on the grounds that nothing had changed since he led a group of rebel players against the country’s cricket authorities.

“That Heath Streak led them into it and is now back playing is poor form. There have not been the wholesale changes they were demanding but they want to go back,” Flower told the May edition of the Wisden Cricketer Magazine.

Flower, whose younger brother Grant has joined him at English county Essex, added: “I don’t know what the reasons are”.