CRICKET: Kiwis assailed by Vaas

Sri Lanka 233 and 0-0

New Zealand 307

Chaminda Vaas, the Sri Lankan left-arm seamer, continued an impressive tour of New Zealand with his third five-wicket haul in an innings, in the second Test at Carisbrook in Dunedin yesterday. Vaas took 6 for 87 as New Zealand replied to the Sri Lankan first-innings total of 233 with 307 on the third day.

Playing in only his sixth Test, the 21-year-old fast bowler achieved a career-best of 10 for 90 in the first Test against New Zealand in Napier last week.

"He would have to be right among the top five or six all-rounders in the world already after scoring his maiden Test fifty yesterday," New Zealand's Dipak Patel, who made 52 himself, said. "He is impressive because he can move the ball both ways, has enough pace, gives very little width to the batsmen, and he bowls for long periods. And he's certainly very useful with the bat."

While Vaas took the individual honours, New Zealand had one of their best days in a Test this summer. Resuming their innings at 95 for 2, Bryan Young and Stephen Fleming put on 114 for the third wicket before Fleming was run out on 66 after a careless decision to go for a third run.

With the Kiwi captain, Ken Rutherford, unable to bat because of his injured left hand, Young remained to guide New Zealand out of the woods. At lunch, the Kiwis were 173 for 3 and by tea had established a small lead of seven runs to reach 240 for 5.

New Zealand suffered a blow at 196 when Adam Parore departed for 19, and a run later, Vaas had his fourth wicket when Young was caught at slip by Asanka Gurusinha for 84.

The New Zealand tail wagged in the final session to put on 67, and Sri Lanka, who faced two overs before the close, were nought without loss when stumps were drawn.

(Third day; New Zealand won toss)

SRI LANKA - First Innings 233 (U C J Vaas 51).

NEW ZEALAND - First Innings

(Overnight: 95 for 2)

B A Young c Gurusinha b Vaas 84

S P Fleming run out 66

A C Parore c de Silva b Vaas 19

D K Patel b Muralitharan 52

G R Larsen c Gurusinha b Muralitharan 16

M L Su'a not out 20

C Pringle c S Ranatunga b Vaas 4

K J Walmsley b Vaas 0

*K R Rutherford absent injured 0

Extras (b3 lb28 nb15) 46

Total 307

Fall (cont): 3-140 4-196 5-197 6-244 7-291 8-303 9-307.

Bowling: Wickramasinghe 26-6-49-0 (8nb); Vaas 40-9-87-6 (2nb); Muralitharan 50-20-77-2 (4nb); Pushpakumara 16-3-42-0 (1nb); De Silva 1-0-11-0; Gurusinha 6-2-10-0.

SRI LANKA - Second Innings

A P Gurusinha not out 0

D P Samaraweera not out 0

Extras 0

Total (for 0) 0

Bowling: Walmsley 1-1-0-0; Patel 1-1-0-0.