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| Sunday, 8 January 2006 |
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Sports |  |
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Kiwis chase
clean sweep, Sri Lanka play for pride
NAPIER, New Zealand, Jan 7 (AFP) The New Zealand cricketers have no intention of easing up on Sri Lanka as the aim for a clean sweep in their one-day cricket series which ends here Sunday. They are adamant a 5-0 outcome is the right therapy after being on the end of a whitewash themselves in South Africa two months ago. For the dejected Sri Lankans, their motivation rests with an urgent need to restore some pride before heading to the tri-series with Australia and South Africa next week. Sri Lanka started their New Zealand series a game down, that being their loss from the sole game played in the aborted 2004 tour following the Boxing Day tsunami. Jet-lagged, they collapsed to a seven-wicket loss in the opening match of the revived tour, then narrowed the margin to a five-wicket loss in the second encounter. They were poised to snap the losing streak in the third match in Wellington on Friday when closing in on New Zealand's modest 224 for nine before a dramatic batting collapse saw them fall 21 runs short. Now, instead of crossing the Tasman filled with confidence for their Australian assignment, they face the ignominy of a clean sweep - only a month after India trampled them 6-1. New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming, who missed the first two games while on paternity leave, said the feeling in the home camp is that nothing less than a 5-0 result will do. "It's pretty strong. I've been watching the first couple of games and the feeling in the side is very determined. Five-nil is certainly the goal," he said. New Zealand have been criticised for becoming too one-dimensional, preferring to chase after winning the toss, but in the Wellington match they broke the mould and batted first. Fleming conceded it was not one of their strengths and it was an area that needed improvement, however they would not compromise a win for the sake of developing the side. "There's been a lot of talk about doing things differently, but that will never compromise the want to win and that's exactly the same here," he said. "It (the Wellington wicket) screamed of us batting first, and it's something we haven't been comfortable with, so we have to get used to doing it. "I won't say we'll have another go at it in Napier, because conditions may suit us bowling first, but when we come around again (to bat first), we'll be better for it." Fleming is in doubt for the final game with a groin strain, as is paceman Bond with a thigh strain and all-rounder Scott Styris. Sri Lanka remain without veteran Sanath Jayasuriya who dislocated a
shoulder when he slipped in the shower earlier in the week. |
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