Cricket: Victory puts a spark into Captain Quiet

The sometimes reticent Stephen Fleming was bubbly after New Zealand cruised to a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first match of the home season at Eden Park yesterday.

"I'm pretty rapt for a number of reasons," said Fleming, whose man-of-the-match-winning innings led his side home with 17 overs to spare. "We hit the Sri Lankans hard.

"It was a good effort to restrict them to 140 and we can go away from here knowing we have stolen a march on them.

"It is now up to us to keep them down for the series."

Fleming said the return of opening bowler Daryl Tuffey was a key to the win.

"To come back the way he did and get a wicket in his first over got us into the game."

 

Fleming played down his part in the win saying: "I don't think it was a man of the match effort. It was a scratchy performance really. In a series like this, it is important the top order does their job.

"In the end it was a comprehensive drubbing. It is important now to maintain that roll and momentum.

"No one in the Sri Lankan team really got a grasp of New Zealand conditions."

His comments were backed by Chris Cairns, who took four wickets and was not required to bat.

"This victory was a mixture of us doing well and them not performing," said Cairns. "The bowling was backed by some excellent fielding.

"I have to make the most of every opportunity.

"I've cut my opportunities down by more than half but I look around this New Zealand team and know I want to keep going on."

So do the New Zealand public.

But probably not visiting captain Marvan Atapattu.

"It could have been a better start," Atapattu later admitted.

"We don't get days like this every day. It was not easy batting first on a wicket which was doing a bit. It settled down in the second session.

"If we had not lost four early wickets, we would have done better. Hopefully it won't happen every day.

"It did not help not having any match practice before the match.

"We need to put this behind us and get ready for the next game. It does not mean we are going to get 140 in every game but New Zealand are in good shape - they bat right to the end."

That next game, in Napier on Wednesday, might be a happier time for Atapattu who was in the team which beat New Zealand by 61 runs at the same ground in the first match of their last tour four years ago.