By RICHARD BOOCK
The Sri Lankan cricketers are standing on the brink of an unprecedented 5-0 series whitewash after summarily dispatching New Zealand in the fourth limited-over international in Hamilton last night.
In a match shortened to 35 overs a side after overnight rain, Sri Lanka initially restricted the beleaguered New Zealand side to a modest first innings total of 182, and were ahead by three runs on the Duckworth-Lewis system when bad light forced their innings to be abandoned at 155 for five - with 28 needed off 28 balls.
Although the Sri Lankans have beaten Pakistan 3-0 they have never won a series abroad 5-0, something they can achieve if they manage to continue their storming form in Christchurch on Sunday.
Crushed 1-5 by South Africa before arriving in New Zealand, Sri Lanka have outpointed the home side in everything except fielding during the past fortnight, and again highlighted their dominance yesterday after winning the toss and choosing to field.
The good news for New Zealand was that their captain Stephen Fleming finally rediscovered his form - playing an innings of such style and class you would have never known he had been struggling - but the bad news was that his 67 was the only meaningful score in his team's eventual total.
Fleming, who had scored a total of nine runs in three innings before yesterday's game, came to the crease after the dismissal of makeshift opener Adam Parore, and looked like he might have scored a triple-century in his previous outing, turning the first ball he received off his toes to the boundary before racing to his 24th ODI half-century off just 49 balls.
Unfortunately for the hosts, his contribution was head and shoulders above anything else offered from the top-order, which wilted in the face of another strong performance from Sri Lankan's left-arm paceman Nuwon Zoysa and their many-pronged spin attack.
Zoysa ended with three wickets, including two in the space of two balls during the last over of the innings, while star off-spinner Mutiah Muralitharan and all-rounder Aravinda de Silva maintained the pressure on New Zealand's batsmen, taking key wickets at critical times.
The experiment of opening with Parore was to be applauded because it offered far more balance to the New Zealand line-up, but it was not to prove successful as the veteran wicketkeeper was kept scoreless for 14 balls before he top-edged a hook from Zoysa.
His opening partner, Nathan Astle, fared only marginally better, making seven from 23 balls before miscuing a wild slog at Indika Gallage, playing only his second ODI.
Muralitharan then had Roger Twose and Craig McMillan stumped, the first after Twose lunged at his off-spinner, and the second after McMillan charged down the wicket with intent, only to miss his cunningly-disguised wrong'un.
Requiring something in excess of 210 to stretch the tourists, New Zealand looked to be on course for something significant when Fleming was at the crease, but lost momentum badly through the later stages of the innings as wickets continued to fall.
Although Sri Lanka appeared to be cruising in their reply thanks to a first-wicket partnership of 96 (80 balls) between Sanath Jayasuryia and Romesh Kaluwithara, they began to labour towards the target after losing three wickets in the space of four overs, and playing the the final few overs in dwindling light.
The selectors again refused to budge in the face of New Zealand's 11th ODI loss in the past 12 matches, naming an unchanged squad for Sunday's final game at Jade Stadium.
Cricket: Sri Lankans heading for 5-0
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