Cricket: NZ 64-2 v Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardena launches a six. Picture / Fotopress

New Zealand were 64 for two in their second innings, an overall lead of 127, at stumps on the fourth day of the first cricket test against Sri Lanka here today.

New Zealand lost two early wickets, Craig Cumming for 16 and Hamish Marshall for six, both leg before wicket to speedster Lasith Malinga to give him six wickets for the match.

Opener James Marshall was 33 not out with night watchman Paul Wiseman yet to score as New Zealand faced 30 overs before bad light halted play early.

Earlier, Sri Lanka scored their highest test total against New Zealand before being dismissed for 498 just before tea.

The tourists lost their last five wickets for 35 runs, with James Franklin ending with figures of four for 126 off 32.1 overs, and fellow paceman Chris Martin four for 132 off 37.

Sri Lanka's previous highest total against New Zealand was 497 in Wellington in 1990-91.

* Scoreboard at stumps on the fourth day of the first cricket test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at McLean Park here today.

New Zealand

First innings 561
Second innings
C Cumming lbw b Malinga 16
J Marshall not out 33
H Marshall lbw b Malinga 6
P Wiseman not out 0

Extras (1lb, 7nb, 1w) 9
Total (for 2 wkts, 30 overs) 64

Fall: 51 (Cumming), 64 (H Marshall).
Bowling: C Vaas 9-3-17-0 (5nb), L Malinga 8-2-25-2 (1w), N Kulasekara 7-1-14-0 (2nb), R Herath 4-2-3-0, S Jayasuriya 2-1-4-0.

Sri Lanka

First innings (351-3 overnight)
M Atapattu c Fleming b Astle 127
S Jayasuriya lbw b Martin 48
K Sangakkara b Martin 5
M Jayawardene c McCullum b Franklin 141
T Samaraweera c Fleming b Martin 88
T Dilshan c Vincent b Martin 28
C Vaas c Astle b Wiseman 17
U Chandana c Martin b Franklin 19
R Herath b Franklin 0
N Kulasekara c Fleming b Franklin 0
L Malinga not out 0

Extras (1b, 6lb, 12nb, 6w) 25
Total (148.1 overs) 498
Fall: 95 (Jayasuriya), 101 (Sangakkara), 285 (Atapattu), 407 (Jayawardene), 452 (Dilshan), 463 (Samaraweera), 488 (Vaas), 491 (Herath), 497 (Kulasekara), 498 (Chandana).
Bowling: C Martin 37-9-132-4 (3nb, 6w), J Franklin 32.1-8-126-4 (6nb), P Wiseman 38-7-128-1, K Mills 23-6-59-0 (3nb), N Astle 18-6-46-1.

- NZPA