Sri Lanka make history

Sri Lanka 183 and 352

New Zealand 109 and 185

Sri Lanka win by 241 runs

Sri Lanka secured their first Test win on foreign soil yesterday as New Zealand capitulated to the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan and the seam bowling of Chaminda Vaas.

The New Zealanders, resuming at 139 for 4 and chasing a mammoth target of 427, were bowled out for 185 in their second innings, giving the tourists victory by 241 runs.

New Zealand's captain, Ken Rutherford, failed to add to his overnight score and lasted just nine minutes before falling to a fine diving catch by the wicketkeeper, Chamara Dunasinghe, off Vaas.

His partner, Shane Thomson, lasted seven more minutes before prodding forward defensively to Muralitharan and offering a sharp catch to Asanka Gurusinha.

Muralitharan captured his fifth wicket and his best return in Tests when he had Adam Parore caught brilliantly by Hashan Tillakaratne at leg slip. His 5 for 64 surpassed his previous best of 5 for 101 against South Africa in Colombo.

Dion Nash and Danny Morrison both departed without scoring as Vaas, who also dismissed the debutant Kerry Walmsley, completed his second haul of five wickets in the match. His match analysis of 10 for 90 makes him the first Sri Lankan to take 10 wickets in a Test.

It was Sri Lanka's fifth Test victory in their 59th match since being awarded Test status in 1982, as well as their first win on their travels. "I've waited 13 years for this. There were times when we went close in the past but we didn't finish it off then. Now we've done it," their captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, said.

It was New Zealand's fifth defeat in their last six Test matches - the other was a rain-affected draw. The second Test starts in Dunedin on Saturday and New Zealand have called up Chris Pringle and Murphy Su'a to replace Morrison (dislocated thumb) and Nash (rib injury).

Scoreboard,

Sporting Digest, page 39