Muralitharan puts Sri Lanka on brink of Wellington win

SYDNEY, Dec 18 (Reuters) Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took three more wickets to put Sri Lanka on the verge of victory at lunch on day four of the second and final test against New Zealand in Wellington today.

Muralitharan, who took his career haul to 672 wickets, helped reduce New Zealand to 174 for seven, still 330 runs short of an unlikely victory as Sri Lanka bid to square the series at the Basin Reserve.

Resuming on their overnight 75 for two, New Zealand lost the key wicket of skipper Stephen Fleming when he edged to Kumar Sangakkara for 27 off the bowling of Lasith Malinga.

Muralitharan claimed his second wicket of the innings and first of the morning when Mathew Sinclair holed out to Mahela Jayawardene for 37 to make it 139 for four.

Murali then trapped Nathan Astle lbw for nine and bowled Brendon McCullum for 17, either side of Chaminda Vaas gaining an lbw verdict against Jacob Oram (4), as the hosts lost three wickets for the addition of seven runs to fall to 163 for seven.

Daniel Vettori was on 10 and James Franklin yet to score at the lunch interval with Muralitharan looking to add further to his haul of 4-45 from 22 overs.

New Zealand won the first test in Christchurch by five wickets.

REUTERS PDS BST0608