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A look back at Napier and Wellington
By Aubrey Kuruppu
By virtue of their first innings lead in the first test at MacCullum Park, the Kiwis could have been ahead on points after the opening skirmish. Sri Lanka did come back strongly in the latter stages, but the door was effectively barred by Fleming with stubborn assistance from the tail.

The track was flat and Atapattu, Jayawardena and Samaraweera, in particular, made hay. Basin reserve was a different kettle of fish and Sri Lanka's batting, barring Samaraweera and to a certain extent, Chandana came unstuck on a pitch with bounce and some sideways movement. An old failing that, but one that will recur given the fact that not much has been done to counter such conditions.

Vaas was admirable but unfortunately test matches are not won by teams having one-bowler-attacks. Malinga was an honest trier, but at this formative stage of his career, enthusiasm alone doesn't suffice.

The track was surely not his cup of tea, but Chandana's twenty four wicketless overs didn't do him much credit. Is the reluctance to use Samaraweera due to the fear that he could well end up another bits and pieces cricketer if he were to carry a greater bowling lead?

Sangakkara's poor run can be excused. He has had a glorious run and these failures could hasten a reappraisal. However, he is an intelligent cricketer and not one who is dragged down to the depths of misery and self-pity very easily. The runs will come, surely, and one suspects that Collins, Edwards, Bravo et' al will cop it in a few months time.

Given his age, Jayasuriya's relative lack of runs is more worrying. An eye-player, one who relied on power and timing in the absence of a cast-iron technique, he may be reaching that point in his career when the eye begins to dim and the runs stop cascading.

Which brings me to the point whether it isn't the right time to bring in a youngster and give him some permanency. Obviously, the selectors were thinking on these lines when they drafted in Kalavitigoda.

But the promotion of the heavy scorer in local cricket did not turn out to be a particularly inspired choice. I have endeavoured to put my finger on a couple of the problem areas of the national side. 'O! would some power the giftie give us, To see ourselves as others see us' Robert Burns (Irish Poet).

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