New Zealand's cricket team got a century from Stephen Fleming for a fast start on the opening day of the first test against host Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Fleming hit an unbeaten 112 in a 172-run stand with Mark Richardson that was New Zealand's best second-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka. It helped lift them to 207-2. Richardson scored 85.
New Sri Lankan captain Hashan Tillakaratne rotated six bowlers, four of them spinners, in short spells but failed to dislodge the pair early. The perceived threat from Muttiah Muralitharan never materialized as the star off-spinner, who began with a wide and no ball in his first over, went wicketless in 27 overs.
South Africa's cricket team has gotten an impressive debut century from Jacques Rudolph in the first innings to help his team take control of the first test against host Bangladesh in Chittagong.
Rudolph's 170 not-out, along with Boeta Dippenaar's undefeated 131, powered South Africa to 364-2 by the close of play on the second day Friday. That's a first innings lead of 191 in reply to Bangladesh's 173 all out.
The South African pair shared in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 323, the first players to bat through an entire day of a test match since India's Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman against Australia at Calcutta in 2001.
Rudolph's unbeaten century was only the second by a South African on a test debut and just the 14th time a batsman has passed 150 runs in his first test. The 21-year-old left-hander knocked 21 fours and a six. Dippenaar's century included 18 fours and a six.