New Zealand win despite Sanga ton

New Zealand’s Jacob Oram (L) and Brendon McCullum leave the field after their team’s five-wicket win over Sri Lanka on day-three in the first Test, Jade Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand on Dec. 9. (AP /NZPA, Ross Setford)

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) – Opener Craig Cumming scored 43 in New Zealand’s second innings Saturday as the hosts took just under three days to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first cricket test, to take a 1-0 lead in the two-test series.

Set 119 to win after Sri Lanka’s second innings closed on 170, New Zealand lost three wickets for two runs to slump to 68 for four midway between lunch and tea on the third day.

However Nathan Astle, with 24, and Jacob Oram, nine, shared an unbroken stand of 34 for the fifth wicket up until the tea interval, when New Zealand was 102-4.

After tea, despite losing Astle’s wicket lbw to Muttiah Muralitharan without further scoring, Oram, not out 12, and Brendon McCullum, unbeaten on 14, steered New Zealand to victory.

The second test begins next Friday in Wellington.

Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara led a spirited rearguard action with an unbeaten century as Sri Lanka was dismissed for 170 in its second innings at Jade Stadium.

Sri Lanka trailed by 52 runs on the first innings, reached 154 after winning the toss and batting and dismissing New Zealand for 206.

Sri Lanka resumed at 125 for eight Saturday, an overall lead of 73 with only two second innings wickets standing.

Sangakkara continued his innings at 63 and scored all but eight of the runs added to Sri Lanka’s total on Saturday.

He shared a 43-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Lasith Malinga, a record for Sri Lanka against New Zealand, in which Malinga did not score.

Sangakkara went on to add 27 in a last-wicket stand with Muttiah Muralitharan which further frustrated New Zealand and delayed its push for victory.

His innings ended in bizarre circumstances, when Muralitharan was run out for eight just as Sangakkara’s century was raised.

Sangakkara took a single from the first ball of Shane Bond’s 20th over and Muralitharan, who ran to the striker’s end, rashly left his crease before the ball was dead to congratulate his partner. He was immediately run out by New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, ending the Sri Lankan innings.

Sangakkara was dumbstruck, left exactly 100 not out. Sri Lanka’s total of 170 was the second lowest by any team in test history in an innings in which a century has been scored.

Sri Lanka were angry at the manner in which their innings ended but McCullum was unapologetic.

"After (Muralitharan’s) 109 test matches you know better than to walk out of your ground to celebrate a guy’s hundred when the ball’s still alive," McCullum said.

"I realise they’re pretty upset about it but as far as I’m concerned it was an opportunity to take a wicket. I’d do the same thing again."

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene expressed his team’s disappointment at McCullum’s action.

"The whole team is disappointed," he said.

"Legally it was run out, the ball was alive but we play in an age where we talk about the spirit of the game. Hopefully it won’t happen again. It’s not the way to play cricket."

SCORE BOARD

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 154

New Zealand 1st Innings 206

Sri Lanka 2nd Innings

(Overnight: 125 for eight)

Upul Tharanga c Fleming b Bond 24

Sanath Jayasuriya run out 10

Kumar Sangakkara not out 100

Mahela J’dene c Fleming b Franklin 0

Chamara Kapugedera c Oram b Bond 1

Chamara Silva c Vettori b Bond 0

Prasanna Jayawardene run out 11

Chaminda Vaas c McCullum b Oram 0

Farveez Maharoof c McCullum b Bond 7

Lasith Malinga c McCullum b Franklin 0

Muttiah Muralitharan run out 8

Extras (5lb, 4nb) 9

TOTAL (all out) 170

Batting time: 237 minutes. Overs: 53.1.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-44, 3-45, 4-48, 5-46, 6-74, 7-80, 8-99, 9-143, 10-170.

Bowling: Shane Bond 19.1-5-63-4 (3nb), Chris Martin 11-2-38-0,

James Franklin 13-1-34-2 (1nb), Jacob Oram 7-1-19-1, Daniel Vettori 2-0-10-0, Nathan Astle 1-0-1-0

New Zealand 2nd Innings

Craig Cumming c P J’dene b Vaas 43

Jamie How lbw b Muralitharan 11

M. Sinclair c Sangakkara b M’tharan 4

Stephen Fleming lbw b Vaas 0

Nathan Astle lbw Muralitharan 24

Jacob Oram not out 12

Brendon McCullum not out 14

Extras (1b, 1lb, 5w, 4nb) 11

Total (for five wickets) 119

Batting time: 133 minutes. Overs: 33.

Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-66, 3-66, 4-68, 5-103.

Did not bat: Daniel Vettori, James Franklin, Shane Bond, Chris Martin.

Bowling: Chaminda Vaas 13-3-38-2 (3nb), Lasith Malinga 4-1-35-0 (5w), Muttiah Muralitharan 14-5-34-3, Farveez Maharoof 2-0-10-0 (1nb).

Sri Lanka’s Performances in Test so far in NZ

1982/83

1st Test at Christchurch lost by inng & 25 runs

2nd Test at Wellington lost by 6 wickets

1990/91

1st Test at Wellington draw

2nd Test at Hamilton draw

3rd Test at Auckland draw

1994/95

1st Test at Napier won by 241 runs

2nd Test at Dunedin draw

1996/97

1st Test at Dunedin lost by inng & 36 runs

2nd Test at Hamilton lost by 120 runs

2004/05

1st Test at Napier draw

2nd Test at Wellington lost inng. & 38 runs

2006/07

1st Test at Christchurch lost 5 wickets

P W L D

All-time 166 46 63 57

Vs NZ (away) 12 1 6 5

-The Sunday Island-