Black Caps v Sri Lanka: Andrew Alderson - Michael Bracewell has a baseball-mitt hand in everything

Michael Bracewell was everywhere for the Black Caps on day three. Photo / photosport.nz

By Andrew Alderson at the Basin Reserve

Michael Bracewell starred for New Zealand with a ubiquitous first-innings performance in the field on the third day of the second test against Sri Lanka in Wellington.

He was everywhere. The tourists had no escape.

His perpetual enthusiasm and energy were also appreciated by what is a home crowd these days at the Basin Reserve. Raucous applause ensued.

First, let’s address Bracewell’s off spin. By and large, he pitched on a good length, executing a line which forced batters to play. Flight, dip and drift all contributed, as he gave the ball enough air to tempt strokes.

Few examples showcased this better than Dinesh Chandimal’s removal for 37 with the third delivery after lunch.

Chandimal used his feet, but Bracewell’s guile opened a chasm between bat and pad. The ball missed the stumps, but Tom Blundell’s gloves didn’t. The Sri Lankan veteran was cast adrift of the crease.

That proved the key breakthrough, ending a fifth-wicket stand of 80 with Dimuth Karunaratne. The visitors lost their last six batters for 50.

Bracewell nabbed two more as part of three wickets for 50 runs from 12 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva popped a catch to Tim Southee at short mid-wicket for a six-ball duck. Then, in Bracewell’s final over, top-scorer Karunaratne scooped a looped delivery outside off stump into the hands of Tom Latham at long-off.

Beyond the bowling crease, the ball regularly rendezvoused with Bracewell in the field. He provided a concrete wall at short cover on a couple of occasions when Karunaratne unleashed pulverising drives.

His baseball-mitt hands also came into the reckoning when Matt Henry coaxed an edge to third slip to remove debutant Nishan Madushka. The ball was swallowed whole.

Likewise, Bracewell was the sentinel at the non-striker’s end when a Kasun Rajitha drive scooted past Southee at short mid-wicket to Latham at mid-on. Bracewell’s arms flexed with the impact of throw but whipped back to remove the bails in a jiffy. Rajitha was flailing.

Apart from New Zealand fans, the other beneficiaries will be the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise in the Indian Premier League. They have picked Bracewell up for his base price of $193,000 as a replacement for Englishman Will Jacks.

In a full-circle twist, the RCB director of operations is former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson. He was the mentor at Otago when Bracewell debuted for the Volts as a 19-year-old in January 2011.