Fleming, Parore prop Kiwis

COLOMBO, May 27: New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and Adam Parore hit half centuries to guide their side to 282 for seven on the opening ...

COLOMBO, May 27: New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and Adam Parore hit half centuries to guide their side to 282 for seven on the opening day of their first Test against Sri Lanka here today.

Fleming made 78 and Parore remained unbeaten on 67 as New Zealand recovered from losing regular wickets on a slow wicket at the Premadasa Stadium.Fleming won the toss and chose to bat but had to come in with the score on 25 for one after Sri Lanka’s Test debutant Niroshan Bandaratillike spinner took Mathew Horne with his first over.

Fleming hit 12 fours as he put on 72 for the second wicket with Bryan Young who made 30.

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The left-hander looked set for what could have been only his second Test hundred but a lapse of concentration made him jab at a widish ball from off spinner Ruwan Kalpage which was caught by Sanath Jayasuriya at the slips.

Parore stood his ground almost untroubled by a three-pronged spin attack to hit eight balls to the fence, one of which brought up his half century. Young was ruled out, caughtbehind against Muttiah Muralitharan after some hesitation by umpire Rudy Kirsten.

Muralitharan also accounted for the wickets of Craig McMillan trapped leg-before for a duck and Chris Cairns who was caught at long leg by a diving Malinga Bandara, a school boy leg spinner who was also making his Test debut.

The match was disrupted for 28 minutes due to rain.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand (first innings): Bryan Young c Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 30, Matthew Horne b Bandaratilleke 15, Stephen Fleming c Jayasuriya b Kalpage 78, Nathan Astle c Jayawardena b Kalpage 30, Craig McMillan lbw Muralitharan 0, Adam Parore not out 67, Chris Cairns c Bandara b Muralitharan 19, Chris Harris lbw Wickremasinghe 19, Daniel Vettori not out 9; Extras (lb 6, w 1, nb 8): 15. Total (for seven wickets) 282

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Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-97, 3-141, 4-141, 5-188, 6-229, 7-269.

Bowling: Wickremasinghe 9-0-39-1, Jayawardene 3-0-10-0, Bandaratilleke 22-6-50-1, Muralitharan 34-7-87-3, Bandara 13-3-41-0,Kalpage 15-2-49-2.