New Zealand axe Astle

WELLINGTON (AFP) The New Zealand cricket selectors Wednesday dumped batsman Nathan Astle for the final two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka despite his sudden return to form with a match and series winning 90 not out in Christchurch this week.

Astle was originally unwanted for the series after a string of poor performances, but was was recalled when captain Stephen Fleming took paternity leave.

He then made the most of the opportunity with a solid performance against Sri Lanka on Tuesday that took New Zealand to an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five match series. But coach John Bracewell said that while he was pleased with how Astle played, one top order batsman had to make way for Fleming.

New Zealand squad: Stephen Fleming (captain), Daniel Vettori (vice captain), Shane Bond, Chris Cairns, Peter Fulton, Jamie How, Hamish Marshall, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Lou Vincent.