Tharanga's century in vain - Kiwis win series
WELLINGTON, Tuesday (Reuters) Nathan Astle produced a timely return
to form with an unbeaten 90 to anchor New Zealand to 256 for five for an
unassailable 3-0 lead in the one-day series against Sri Lanka on
Tuesday.
Chasing 255 for seven in the third match at Christchurch, Astle held
the innings together while Lou Vincent smashed 46 off 44 balls to give
the New Zealand run chase momentum at the top of the order.
Upul Tharanga scored his second one-day international century for Sri
Lanka and combined with Kumar Sangakkara (36) in a 109-run second-wicket
partnership.
Astle, who was originally dropped from the squad to give him the
opportunity to regain his scoring touch in domestic cricket, scored his
38th one-day international half century off 125 balls.
The 34-year-old was only brought back into the squad when captain
Stephen Fleming returned home for the birth of his first child, and had
been super-sub for the match, replacing bowler Kyle Mills.
He had a slice of luck in the final overs when he was caught in the
covers off Dilhara Fernando and then bowled by Chaminda Vaas, both off
no balls.
Vaas struggled with his control in the 48th over, with two no balls
and a wide and conceded 19 runs. Peter Fulton followed up his 70 not out
from the second match in Queenstown with 32, while Scott Styris chipped
in with 28. Chris Cairns was 10 not out.
Sri Lanka's captain Marvan Atapattu added 52 when he held the innings
together towards the end, though it was Tharanga's day.
Playing in just his 12th one-day international, the 20-year-old
peppered shots all around the ground and was dismissed for 103 when he
hooked a short delivery off Jacob Oram to Fulton on the backward square
boundary.
Sri Lanka then lost wickets at regular intervals before Russel Arnold
smashed three boundaries off the 49th over from Cairns to push Sri Lanka
over 250.
The five-game series was originally due to be played a year ago but
was postponed after just one match, won by New Zealand, when parts of
Asia, including Sri Lanka, were hit by a tsunami.
The final two games are in Wellington on Friday and Napier on Sunday.
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga c Fulton b Oram 103
A. Gunawardene c Marshall b Bond 03
K. Sangakkara run out (Bond) 36
M. Jayawardene c McCullum b Mills 06
M. Atapattu run out (Astle) 52
T. Dilshan c Oram b Cairns 11
F. Maharoof b Mills 07
R. Arnold not out 22
C. Vaas not out 00
Extras (LB 2,W 10, NB 3) 15
TOTAL (7 wkts) 255
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-24, 2-133, 3-150, 4-169, 5-198,
6-217, 7-254.
BOWLING: Mills 10-1-44-2(1nb,1w),Bond 10-0-39-1(1nb, 3w),
Cairns 8-0-50-1 (1w), Oram 10-0-51-1 (1nb, 2w),
Vettori 9-0-52-0 (1w), Styris 3-0-17-0.
Overs: 50
NEW ZEALAND
L. Vincent c Sangakkaara b Maharoof 46
J. How c Mubarak b Vaas 12
N. Astle not out 90
P. Fulton c Jayawardene b Dilshan 32
H. Marshall lbw Muralitharan 12
S. Styris c Dilshan b Maharoof 28
C. Cairns not out 10
Extras (B 1, LB 14, W 3, NB 8) 26
TOTAL (5 wkts) 256
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-59, 2-71, 3-143, 4-170, 5-219.
BOWLING: Vaas 10-1-43-1 (4nb, 2w), Maharoof 6-0-41-1 1nb),
Fernando 9-0-61-0 (3nb), Dilshan 10-0-38-1,
Muralitharan 10-0-40-1 (1w), Arnold 3-0-18-0.
Overs: 48
Toss: New Zealand New Zealand
won by five wickets Series: New Zealand lead 3-0
Umpires: Gary Baxter (NZL), Darrell Hair (AUS)
Match Referee: Alan Hurst (AUS)
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