Cricket: Warne staggered by Fleming onslaught

Stephen Fleming

Shane Warne admitted he'd never seen any hitting like it as New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming made superspinner Muttiah Muralitharan look like a club bowler here today.

Fleming stole the show in a lopsided nine-wicket win for New Zealand over the World 11, with 106 off 56 balls including seven sixes off Muralitharan alone.

In a staggering 65-minute assault, Fleming hit 10 fours and nine sixes as New Zealand reached their target of 159 off the first ball of the 17th over.

World 11 captain Warne, who has played cat and mouse over several seasons with Muralitharan for the world test wicket-taking record, was as awestruck as the Jade Stadium crowd of 20,194.

"In 15 years of playing international or first-class cricket, I don't think I've seen anyone hit the ball like that," Warne said.

"Occasionally Brian Lara or Sachin Tendulkar when they've got to about 100, but that was just unbelievable."

Fleming's 54-ball century would have been the fourth fastest in one-day cricket, but the match primarily for tsunami relief in Sri Lanka wasn't granted official one-day international status.

Only Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (37 balls), West Indian Lara (45 balls) and Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya (48 balls) had scored faster one-day international hundreds.

Muralitharan, playing just his second match after being sidelined for six months to recover from shoulder surgery, went for 57 runs off just 3.1 overs.

Fleming's second 50 came off just 19 balls before Warne had him caught at mid-off in the 16th over.

He and Nathan Astle added 148 for the first wicket off 94 balls, with Astle unbeaten on 36 at the end.

Fleming reached 44 off a relatively sedate 34 balls against World 11 pacemen Chaminda Vaas, Heath Streak and Ian Harvey, before Muralitharan was introduced in the 11th over.

His first two balls were hit straight by Fleming for six, and he hit six sixes and a four off his first two overs.

"We didn't even get a chance to get the fielders out of the circle. It was disappointing but if someone bats like that it wouldn't have mattered if we made 350," Warne said.

Fleming, not usually a big six hitter, said it was an "exhilarating" feeling.

"It was pretty much the occasion, the game's over when Murali came on to bowl so it was a tough ask for him. I was just pretty happy with my striking quality and they were all good cricket shots," he said.

"It was my day and I had some fun. I'm sure they'll come back and have their day as they have done in the past."

The star-studded World 11, made up of current top players and other recently retired internationals lacking match practice, were a major flop as they were dismissed for 158 on a dream batting surface after Warne won the toss.

The visitors never recovered from being 20 for four in the sixth over, and only a top score of 44 from former England batsman Graeme Hick boosted the total before the innings folded in the 40th over.

Hick and South African Jonty Rhodes, who scored 36, added 79 for the fifth wicket.

The return of former All Black and 1993 New Zealand cricket international Jeff Wilson was eagerly awaited, and he took until the end of his fifth over to snare his first wicket.

After going for 16 off his first two overs, Wilson ended Hick's 59-ball innings when a short ball found the edge and wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum completed the catch. Wilson ended with one for 27 off seven overs.

Spinner Daniel Vettori continued his excellent run of form, ending with the best figures of three for 33 off 9.3 overs.

The second match is in Wellington on Monday.


Scoreboard from Saturday's fundraising one-day match between New Zealand and a World XI in Christchurch.


World XI
S.Jayasuriya c Cairns b Tuffey 5
C.Spearman c Wilson b Tuffey 14
I.Harvey lbw b Mills 0
K.Sangakkara c Cairns b Mills 0
G.Hick c McCullum b Wilson 44
J.Rhodes c Astle b Cairns 36
L.Klusener c McCullum b Vettori 4
H.Streak c Fleming b Vettori 0
C.Vaas not out 20
S.Warne run out 26
M.Muralitharan b Vettori 0
Extras (lb-5 w-4) 9
Total (all out, 39.3 overs) 158


Fall of wickets: 1-16 2-20 3-20 4-20 5-99 6-112 7-112 8-113 9-158 10-158


Bowling: Tuffey 8-0-25-2 (w-3), Mills 7-1-30-2 (w-1), Cairns 8-1-38-1, Wilson 7-1-27-1, Vettori 9.3-1-33-3


New Zealand
S.Fleming c Spearman b Warne 106
N.Astle not out 36
C.Cairns not out 8
Extras (lb-4 w-6) 10
Total (for one wicket, 16.1 overs) 160


Fall of wicket: 1-148


Did not bat: M.Sinclair, S.Styris, H.Marshall, B.McCullum, J.Wilson, D.Vettori, K.Mills, D.Tuffey


Bowling: Vaas 5-0-28-0 (w-1), Streak 3-0-22-0 (w-1), Harvey 2-0-23-0 (w-2), Muralitharan 3.1-0-57-0 (w-1), Warne 3-0-26-1 (w-1).


Result: New Zealand won by nine wickets- NZPA, REUTERS