COLOMBO, 28 April 2003 — Sri Lanka’s new captain Hashan Tillakaratne struck an unbeaten 71 to help his team recover from a stuttering start in their first innings reply on the third day of the first Test against New Zealand yesterday.
Tillakaratne, in his first game as skipper, shared an unbroken stand of 133 with Mahela Jayawardene to guide Sri Lanka to 267 for four by the close, just 49 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.
There were also good contributions from Sanath Jayasuriya, with 50, and Kumar Sangakkara, 67, as the home side replied to New Zealand’s daunting 515 for seven declared.
“It’s hard out there but they stuck at it with their fielding and kept the (bowling) line OK,” New Zealand coach Denis Aberhart said of his team’s efforts in the field.
Jayawardene was unbeaten on 58 when rain ended play on a day that began badly for the home side when nightwatchman Chaminda Vaas was dismissed in the fourth over, caught at slip by Stephen Fleming off fast bowler Shane Bond.
From 11 for two, Sri Lanka appeared to have recovered as Jayasuriya and Sangakkara both hit fifties in a third-wicket partnership of 103. But neither could capitalize and New Zealand were back in charge as the home side slipped to 134 for four.
The left-handed Jayasuriya, who resigned as captain after the Sharjah Cup to be replaced by Tillakaratne, fell just after lunch for 50, bowled by Bond.
Sangakkara went soon afterward when he was caught by Jacob Oram at extra cover off spinner Paul Wiseman, attempting his third boundary of the over.
Sangakkara hit 14 fours in his 67, although he had two lucky escapes, a return catch to Bond on 11 and another chance to Stephen Fleming at first slip when on 23.
But Jayawardene, who hit eight boundaries, redeemed himself after spilling several catches on Saturday while Tillakaratne, well known for his adhesive qualities at the crease, hit 13 fours in 135 balls.
Sri Lanka lost opener Marvan Atapattu for a duck before bad light curtailed play on Saturday, after Fleming’s Test-best 274 not out helped the visitors to their large total.
Talk With Dalmiya Will
‘Break the Ice’: Zia
In Karachi, Pakistan’s cricket chief is hoping a meeting with his Indian counterpart in Dubai next week will lead to a breakthrough in cricketing relations between the nations.
India twice canceled tours of Pakistan last year, and the sides have met just once since May 2000 because of political tensions between the two countries over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
“I am going to Dubai with the hope that we can break the ice in cricket relations,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Tauqir Zia told a news conference yesterday. “I have always felt that cricket can serve as a big confidence-building measure between the two countries.”
Zia will meet with Jagmohan Dalmiya, the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), at a meeting in Dubai of the Asian Cricket Foundation (AFC).
“We have been boosted by the recent offer by the Indian prime minister to Pakistan to reopen talks on the diplomatic front, which is why I am going to Dubai with some hope,” Zia said. “We have always tried to separate sports from politics, because we believe cricket can serve as a big confidence builder between the two countries, once the ice is broken through dialogue between the Pakistan and Indian governments.
“But India now has to take the initiative to play us first and resume ties. We have bent backward a lot and we can’t do anything more,” Zia added.
Zia said the International Cricket Council (ICC) had played a role in trying to resolve the cricketing thaw between Pakistan and India, but could do even more.
“I don’t want to go into the negatives, because already India has troubled relations with the ICC. But the ICC must distinguish between security and political problems,” he said.
