Reid’s 180 runs sets N.Z. on target for substantial lead

Press, 29 March 1984, Page 44

Reid’s 180 runs sets N.Z. on target for substantial lead

NZPA staff correspondent Colombo John Reid’s marathon innings, the highlight of New Zealand’s third test against Sri Lanka, ended in the shade of lunch yesterday as the tourists tightened the already strong grip on the match.

Thanks to Reid, whose dismissal ended a 152-run sixth wicket partnership with Jeremy Coney, New Zealand’s first inning lead was 140 at lunch, enough to give them confidence of a second test victory of the tour.

The tourists were 396 for seven when lunch was taken, having accomplished the morning target of amassing their overnight score of 322 for five to 400 by the break. Sadly, some of the gloss had been taken from the session by Reid’s dismissal for 180, 20 runs short of a deserved double century and by the almost instant loss of Richard Hadlee who did not score.

Jeremy Coney took his overnight score of 26 on to 74 to pass his eleventh 50 in 30 tests and to lay the foundation for his second 100.

He was batting commandingly at the break and remained New Zealand’s hope for a lead in excess of 200. “I just had a lapse in concentration,” Reid said

after his innings of 11 and quarter hours. He shared a partnership of 100 with Martin Crowe for New Zealand’s third wicket and 132 with Coney for the fifth, slipping slightly into the background yesterday as Coney produced 48 of the 74 runs added before lunch. Lunch scoreboard:—

SRI LANKA First innings 256 NEW ZEALAND First innings G. P. Howarth lbw b Ratnayake 7 J. G. Wright c de Alwis b Ratnayake 18 J. F. Reid c and b Amerasinghe 180 M. D. Crowe c de Alwis b Ratnayake 45 S. L. Boock b John .... 35 J. J. Crowe lbw b John . 18 J. V. Coney not out ... . 74

R. J. Hadlee c Kaluperuma b de Silva 0 I. D. S. Smith not out. . . 0 Extras (b 4 lbß, nbs, w2). 19 Total (for 7 wkts) 396 Fall: 13, 23, 132, 214, 253, 386, 391. Bowling.—V. John, 36, 8, 91, 2; J. R. Ratnayake, 39, 9, 123, 3; A. Ranatunge, 16, 5, 18, 0; D. S. de Silva, 33, 2, 74, 1; A. M. J. G. Amerasinghe, 22, 4, 46, 1; S. M. S. Kaluperuma, 10, 2, 25, 0.