New Zewaland reach 282/7
Fleming and Parore defy spinners on turning pitch
by Callistus Davy

New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and wicket-keeper batsman Adam Parore defied Sri Lanka's three-pronged spin attack on a slow wicket to lift their side to 282 for 7 after winning the toss on the opening day of the first cricket Test at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.

Fleming stroked a patient 78 with the help of 12 fours and Parore sustained the innings after the exit of his skipper for an unbeaten 67 which was laced with eight fours. The pair were chiefly responsible for bringing New Zealand back into the match after the side lost the first wicket at 25 and then slumped to 141 for 4 at one stage. Fleming looked comfortable against the spinners right from the start of his innings and made just one blemish when he drove a ball past the out-stretched left hand of Arjuna Ranatunga at short mid-wicket off the bowling of debut-maker Malinga Bandara with his score on 31. But he settled in to keep the innings from falling while his side lost Bryan Young (30), Nathan Astle (30) and Craig McMillan for a "duck" to slump to 141 for 4.

Bryan Young is ruled out caught behind by Romesh Kaluwitharana off Muttiah Muralitheran for 30. Pix by Srilal Gomes Stephen Fleming pulls a ball to the fence during his knock of 78

Fleming appeared to look set to post what could have been only his second Test hundred but in a lapse of concentration jabbed at a widish ball from off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage to see Sanath Jayasuriya at slip take the catch.

Parore who has so far looked the best on tour, hit eight fours in picking his runs, one of which brought up his half century when he drove Kalpage to the mid-off boundary.

Fleming and opener Bryan Young shared in a 72-run stand for the second wicket after Mathew Horne was bowled for 15 by debut-making left arm spinner Niroshan Bandara-tilleke who joined a select band of players to take a wicket in his first over. Young was ruled out caught behind off a ball from Muttiah Muralitheran after some hesitation on the part of umpire Rudy Kirsten. Muralitheran finished the day with figures of 3 for 87 which included the scalps of Craig McMillan trapped leg-before on the back foot for a "duck" and Chris Cairns who was caught by a diving Malinga Bandara at long leg.

Recalled off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage who took two wickets sets off for another delivery

NEW ZEALAND 1st Innings

B. A. Young c Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 30
M. J. Horne b Bandaratilake 15
S. P. Fleming c Jayasuriya b Kalpage 78
N. J. Astle c Jayewardene b Kalpage 30
C. D. McMillan lbw b Muralitharan 0
A. C. Parore not out 67
C. L. Cairns c Bandara b Muralitharan 19
C. Z. Harris lbw b Wickremasinghe 19
D. L. Vettori not out 9

Extras: (lb-6, w-1, nb-8) 15
Total: (for 7 wkts at close, 96 overs, 366 mins) 282

Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Horne), 2-97 (Young), 3-141(Astle), 4-141 (McMillan), 5-188 (Fleming), 6-229 (Cairns), 7-269 (Harris),

To bat: P. J. WISEMAN, S. B. DOULL.

Bowling: (to-date): Wickremasinghe 9-0-39-1 (1w), Jayewardene 3-0-10-0, Bandaratilake 22-6-50-1, Muralitharan 34-7-87-3 (7nb), Bandara 13-3-41-0 (1nb), Kalpage 15-2-49-2.

Asian Women's Vollyball Tourney
Lankans lose to Thais
By Shirajiv reporting from Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY, May 27 - Sri Lankan women spikers put up an, improved performance before going down to Thailand 15/9, 15/7, 15/7 in their last league game of the 10th Asian Women's Club Championships here last Tuesday night. They will now play Australia for ranking.

The Air Force team did not make a big impact in the first set going down 3/15 tamely. But in the next two sets they unleashed a better performance using all their tactics.

The islanders spiking improved tremendously with ever reliable Mangalika and W. Kumari coming to the fore. It was also pleasing to note the improvement of their services which was at a low ebb.

In both the second and third sets Lankans led by around three points until they reached 7 and they faded away. This was mainly due to the fact that Air Force could not negotiate star spiker Piyamas Koijapo's power packed spiking. Only Nayana Jayaratne made any attempt to 'cover-up'. Piyamas looks to be the best 'dasher' of the tournament.

Australia and Thailand have one victory each while China and Chinese Taipei has won two games each. Accordingly the two Russian teams Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and China and Taipei have been drawn up for the two semi-finals. The finals and final ranking games will be played today.

Results: Australia beat Vietnam 15/9, 11/15, 16/14, 15/10.

China beat Uzbekistan 15/4, 15/12, 15/10.

Uzbekistan beat Australia 15/14, 15/3, 15/7, Thailand Bt SL 15/3, 15/2.

The game could have lasted longer if some decisions which went against Lankans came their way. Vietnam referee had to face a simple warning from the authorities for blunders made during this game.

Leaders in the table China and Kazakhastan maintained an unblemished record while Sri Lankans and Vietnam have failed to win a single match so far.

Kazikistan upset Lanka 1-0
By Hafiz Marikar Our Kandy Sports Corr.

Kazikistan upset Sri Lanka by one goal to nil in their 31st Asian Youth Football Tournament match played at the Bogambara Stadium.

Towards the end of the first half, burly Aliyev Ali rasping a long ranger had the Lankan custodian Ranil Prasad in all sorts of trouble to score. And at half time the Kazikistan led 1-0.

After the break a rejuvenated Sri Lanka played a very organised game, technically and tactically dominating the play, with short passes and aggressive approach. Kazikistan was unable to play a co-ordinated game.

Sri Lanka's few chances of scoring went awry. Sri Lanka's S. K. C. M. Weerasinghe, booted a superb one from long range, but the visiting team's goal keeper was there to save what would have been a certain goal.

Jo Khodykin Mikhall got the marching orders from referee Inayathullah Khan (India).

School Rugby Review
It was far from Right-Royal
by Ravi Nagahawatte

For the first time this season the high-riding Royalists were forced to perform with their backs to the wall against arch rivals S. Thomas' in the Guneratne Trophy rugby encounter played over the week-end. The Thomians, though losing 13-20 had Royal guessing all the way till the last minute before bowing out.

DREAM START

All die hard Royalists might not agree. But it definitely was the Thomians game. The S. Thomas' line did the trick and when Krishan Gunawardane opened scoring early in the first half, it looked a dream start for the Thomians. The winger scored once more before putting S. Thomas' 10-6 in the lead before half time.

Royal, who were struggling to perform most of the time, got their act together with a try by Ravindu Athukorala who touched down in the second half. Then the conversion by Gonaduwa had them slightly ahead. But S. Thomas' fly half, Steffan Van Twest, found accuracy on one of his rare occasions to level the scores with a penalty.

KISHAN'S SPRINT

Then in the last minute of the game Royal centre Kishan Samarasinghe scored the winning try when he gallopped all the way from forty metres out to touch down under the posts.

It was creditable indeed for Royal to win through a try rather than by a penalty.

WESLEY REMAIN UNBEATEN

In another closely contested encounter, Wesley, making a bid to dominate Western Province Zone II, toppled Ananda 19-13 to remain unbeaten this season.

INSTANT HERO

The Wesleyites broke the shackles placed on them when they fought back gallantly in the second half to post their fifth win this season. Scrum half Joel Orloff became an instant hero when he scored the winner just before the end. The Anandians, who took a surprising 13-6 lead.