New Zealand v India
From Reuters, July 21, 2001

The New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming says their win over India in the tri-match series in Colombo was possibly their best one-day performance under his captaincy.

Fleming added that Dion Nash, back from a year-long back injury, was instrumental in the 84 run victory with three quick wickets. And made a special mention of Nathan Astle's knock of 117 to bring up his tenth one day century.

The Kiwis scored 211-8 after electing to bat first but India managed only 127 in reply on a slow, turning wicket.

India were 13-2 and then 50-5 as Dion Nash, making a return after a year-long back injury, grabbed three quick wickets. Vangipurappu Laxman was India's highest scorer with 60.

Chris Harris cleaned up India's tail-enders with 3-23 from eight overs.

India lost opener Yuvraj Singh (6) in the fourth over when he was trapped lbw by paceman Kyle Mills and his opening partner, captain Saurav Ganguly (5), did not last long either.

He steered fast bowler Daryl Tuffey to gully, where Harris held on to a tough catch diving backwards.

Laxman and Rahul Dravid (15) tried to steady the Indian innings but their 28-run third-wicket stand was broken when Nash had Dravid miscue a pull shot to Matthew Sinclair at point.

Medium pacer Nash picked up his second wicket when Hemang Badani was out for two, and then struck again in the same over when Virender Sehwag fended off a rising delivery to Harris for a duck.

Reetinder Sodhi was bowled by Harris for 18 and Laxman's fighting knock came to an end when he was caught at cover off Vettori.

Earlier, Astle hammered his 10th one-day hundred off 148 balls, hitting nine fours and a six. Captain Stephen Fleming was second highest scorer with 25.

New Zealand lost Matthew Sinclair off the day's first ball when he was trapped lbw by left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan.

But Fleming and Astle rescued the side with a 70-run stand for the second wicket.

Astle had a close shave on four in the second over when a ball from Ashish Nehra rolled onto the stumps after hitting his pads but did not dislodge the bails

Fleming went when he misread a ball from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and edged it to Virender Sehwag at first slip who took a sharp catch to his right.

Sri Lanka, the other team in the tournament, beat New Zealand by 16 runs in the opening game on Wednesday.

[Articles]