The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Lara survives as West Indies starts steadily

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Sunday, Mar 26, 2006

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Sport - Cricket

Lara survives as West Indies starts steadily

WELLINGTON: Brian Lara rediscovered some form with a careful 28 not out to help West Indies reach 95 for one at the close on a truncated first day of the third Test against New Zealand in Napier on Saturday.

Overnight rain and a wet McLean Park outfield had delayed the start of play and after the early loss of Chris Gayle, Lara and Daren Ganga combined in a 58-run unbroken partnership before fading light forced the players to leave early.

``When you expect to put a team in with overhead conditions being murky, it's never nice to bat in these situations. You probably expect to pick up a couple more (wickets) and probably we expected more from the wicket but it wasn't there,'' he said.

Gayle had provided West Indies with a breezy start, stroking five boundaries in his 27-ball 30, before he fell into a trap set by Fleming.

The New Zealand captain brought in a short cover after Gayle had played a few aerial shots through that area and the left-hander's next attempt, off a short delivery from Chris Martin, was easily snapped up by Peter Fulton.

Last Test

Lara, who became the highest run-scorer in Test cricket in Australia last November, in what is bound to be his last Test in New Zealand, nervously flicked the first ball he received from nemesis Shane Bond to fine leg where it dropped just short of Martin.

Lara also survived a confident lbw appeal from Nathan Astle before the tea break.

In the 20 minutes after tea, Lara began to look more assured, though the light forced the end of the day's play early.

"I suppose he's (Lara) made a statement already by coming out there and the way he played," Vettori added.

"He knuckled down and tried to get himself in and face some balls. He obviously wants to score some runs but it's up to us not to let him do that." — Agencies

SCOREBOARD

West Indies — 1st innings: C. Gayle c Fulton b Martin 30, D. Ganga (batting) 31, B. Lara (batting) 28, Extras (lb-2, nb-4) 6, Total (for one wkt.) 95.

Fall of wicket: 1-37

New Zealand bowling: Bond 9-0-40-0, Franklin 8-1-25-0, Martin 4-1-18-1, Astle 6.2-2-10-0.

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