New Zealand Cricket News

GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (AP) _ After beating England, the last thing New Zealand wants is to let up against Kenya on Tuesday. ``It can be a fine line in these games,'' New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said. ``Pressure plays a major part, teams get tense and when you give an opportunity to the so-called minnow, they're in a better position to take it these days.'' Both New Zealand and ...

Sri Lanka held a tenuous 73-run lead over New Zealand with only two second innings wickets remaining at stumps on the second day of the first cricket Test at Jade Stadium on Friday. Bowled out for only 154 in its first innings after winning the toss and batting, Sri Lanka fought back to dismiss New Zealand for 206, before collapsing again to be 124 for eight at stumps. Fast bowler ...

Fast bowlers Shane Bond and James Franklin and recalled batsmen Mathew Sinclair and Craig Cumming gave New Zealand control of the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka after its opening day Thursday. Bond and Franklin took three wickets each, Chris Martin two including his 100th in Tests, as New Zealand dismissed Sri Lanka for 154 after the visitors won the toss and batted. Sinclair and Cumming, both returning to the ...

Stephen Fleming is set to create a cricket benchmark Wednesday when he leads New Zealand in a Champions Trophy match against Pakistan, his 194th limited-overs international as captain. He equalled Sri Lankan Arjuna Ranatunga's international mark of 193 one-day internationals as captain in a loss to Sri Lanka last Friday. Since he took over nine years ago, New Zealand has won 85 limited-overs internationals and lost 95, with one tie ...

A penetrative spell by ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan spurred Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket victory Friday over New Zealand in the limited-overs ICC Champions Trophy, reviving the South Asian team's hopes of advancing to the semifinals. Muralitharan snared four for 23 as Sri Lanka bowled out New Zealand for 165 in 49.2 overs. In reply, composed innings from opener Upul Tharanga (56) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (48) took Sri Lanka ...

New Zealand is getting used to life without its pace spearhead Shane Bond as it remains unsure of the ace fast bowler turning out for Friday's Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka. Bond continues to feel stiff despite an extended rest period and the team management is reluctant to rush him back into competitive cricket until the pacer's complete recovery. New Zealand, which defeated South Africa by 87 runs in ...

Skipper Stephen Fleming's 89-run stand and inspired pace bowling from Kyle Mills and Jacob Oram helped New Zealand to an 87-run victory over South Africa in a limited-overs Champions Trophy cricket match Monday. New Zealand recorded a total of 195 in 45.4 overs on an uneven pitch. South Africa was bundled out for 108 after its top order was decimated by penetrative spells from Mills (3-18) and Oram (3-26). This ...

Uncapped fast bowler Mark Gillespie was named Thursday to New Zealand's 14-man squad for the Champions Trophy limited overs cricket series in India in October. Gillespie, 26, was among the leading wicket-takers in New Zealand domestic cricket last summer _ taking 43 wickets at an average of 23.16, and played for New Zealand A at the recent Top End series in Australia. The right-armer, who bowls fast medium inswingers and ...

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand (AP) _ Brendan McCullum and Peter Fulton halted a top-order slide and Daniel Vettori made a determined half century Wednesday as New Zealand beat the West Indies by three wickets in the second limited-overs cricket international. New Zealand slipped to 13 for four before rallying to surpass the West Indies' total of 200 for nine with eight overs to spare. Vettori, 53 not out at the close ...