WELLINGTON, 23 January 2005 — Stephen Fleming smashed a century off 54 balls to steer New Zealand to a nine wicket win over a World XI in the first of three fundraising one-day matches at Christchurch yesterday.
The Kiwi skipper belted 10 fours and nine sixes in a brutal display of hitting, helping New Zealand pass the World XI’s total of 158 in just 16.1 overs. “In 15 years of playing international or first-class cricket, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone hit the ball like that,” said World XI captain Shane Warne.
“Occasionally Brian Lara or Sachin Tendulkar when they’ve got to about 100, but that was just unbelievable.”
Fleming’s century would have been the fourth fastest in one-day cricket history but won’t count because the match was not given official status.
Fleming began modestly, reaching 44 off the first 34 balls he faced, before exploding into action when Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was introduced into the attack. Fleming smashed six sixes off Muralitharan, leaving the Sri Lankan with the unflattering figures for 0-57 from just 3.1 overs. The match was effectively over after the World XI, made up of past and present international players, crumbled to be all out for 158 in the 40th over.
England’s Graeme Hick top scored with 44 and South African Jonty Rhodes chipped in with 36 but the total was always too small.
Fleming, opening the batting, made 106 before being dismissed just short of the target, leaving Nathan Astle (36 not out) and Chris Cairns (eight not out) to complete the victory. The three match series was organised to raise funds for victims of the Asian tsunami and to fill a scheduling hole after Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand was postponed.
Organizers said they raised more than $350,000 from yesterday’s opening match and hoped to take the total past $1 million after matches in Wellington and Hamilton.
“If we can get over that it’s testament to the quality of personnel we’ve brought over but also the generosity of New Zealanders,” Fleming said.
Injured Shoaib to Return From Australia
In Karachi, fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is to return from Australia and miss the remainder of the triangular one-day series to receive treatment on a hamstring injury, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday.
“Shoaib has no visible signs of making a rapid improvement from his injury despite taking injections and there were doubts if he would be able to play in the remaining matches of the one-day series,” PCB spokesman Abbas Zaidi said yesterday.
“He has been recalled so that he can start a rehabilitation process under the supervision of a medical panel. “We want him to be 100 percent fit and firing on all cylinders for the Indian tour which is very important for us.”
