Lanka in 97 run win over Kiwis
Chris Dhambarage
Middle order batsman Thilan Samaraweera's maiden century and a fiery
spell of bowling from Lasith Malinga set up an easy 97 run victory for
Sri Lanka over New Zealand in the curtain raiser match of the Compaq Cup
Tri Series limited overs cricket tournament which commenced at the R.
Premadasa Stadium yesterday.
Having recovered magnificently to make a healthy 216 for 7 from their
50 overs the home side then put up a fabulous performance on the field
under lights to skittle out the Kiwis for just 119 runs from 36.1 overs.
Speedster Lasith Malinga was on a song and almost completed a rare
hattrick that brought the downfall of the New Zealand team to ensure
there will be no contest at the end. Malinga sent back the danger man
and opening batsman Brian McCullum in the second ball of his fourth over
and then followed up with the wickets of all rounder Jacob Oram and
Nathan McCullum in the last two deliveries of the same over.
This was after the two opening bowlers Nuwan Kulasekera and Thilan
Thushara had struck early to put the New Zealanders on the back foot
from the start. Even then middle order batsman Grant Elliot held the
Kiwi batting together to a certain extent with a top score of 41 with
two boundaries.
Earlier Thilan Samaraweera playing in his 22nd one day international
was able to convert his recent success in the Test series into the
shorter version of the game after the entire top order had failed to
make an impact.
Samaraweera walked into the crease at a critical stage of the innings
when Sri Lanka were sliding towards disaster after skipper Kumar
Sangakkara had won the toss and elected to bat first.
But their joy of winning the toss was short lived as they lost opener
Tillekeratne Dilshan in the very first over of the innings. That was the
beginning of a long hard struggle for the home side which had started
the game minus ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
However Samaraweera whose previous best was 38 not out against
Pakistan, revived the Sri Lankan innings with a fighting knock of 104
from 124 deliveries which included ten boundaries.
Together with all rounder Angelo Mathews the pair completely changed
the complexion of the game while adding a record 127 runs for the sixth
wicket. They bettered the previous best sixth wicket partnership for Sri
Lanka against New Zealand - 103 runs by Russel Arnold and Suresh Perera
at this same venue way back in 2001. Mathews launched himself to play a
superb innings of 51 his second one day international half century from
60 deliveries inclusive of four boundaries.
Earlier New Zealand were able to snatch the initiative immediately
following some hostile seam bowling from Daryl Tuffey and Shane Bond.
This pair expoited the conditions to good effect and had the home
side reeling at 68 for 4 at the half way stage of the innings.
Bond, who was playing his first one day international after more than
two years created a huge amount of pressure in the minds of the Sri
Lankan batsmen and was rewarded for his consistency and accuracy.
Bond's first spell of five overs had plenty of fire and aggression as
he struck two crucial blows including the prize scalp of veteran Sanath
Jayasuriya.
This was probably one of the turning points in the Sri Lankan innings
as Jayasuriya had set his mind to play a more responsible innings.
However the dashing opener could not resist the temptation and fell
to a trap which was executed well by the New Zealand team. Bond had
earlier sent back former captain Mahela Jayawardena who edged one to the
first slip having faced just a couple of deliveries.
SRI LANKA
T. Dilshan b Tuffey 4
S. Jayasuriya c Butler b Bond 7
M. Jayawardene c Taylor b Bond 0
K. Sangakkara c Oram b Butler 18
T. Samaraweera b Butler 104
T. Kandamby c Taylor b Vettori 15
A. Mathews b Bond 51
N. Kulasekara not out 6
T. Thushara not out 6
Extras (lb3, w2) 5
Total (for 7 wkts; 50 overs) 216
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Dilshan), 2-5 (Jayawardene), 3-22 (Jayasuriya), 4-38 (Sangakkara), 5-69 (Kandamby), 6-196 (Mathews), 7-204 (Samaraweera).
Bowling: Tuffey 9-0-35-1, Bond 10-2-43-3 (w2), Butler 10-1-55-2, Oram 6-0-22-0, Vettori 8-0-31-1, N. McCullum 7-1-27-0.
NEW ZEALAND
B. McCullum b Malinga 14
J. Ryder lbw b Thushara 0
M. Guptill c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 3
R. Taylor lbw b Kulasekara 2
G. Elliott b Jayasuriya 41
J. Oram c Sangakkara b Malinga 4
N. McCullum b Malinga 0
D. Vettori lbw b Jayasuriya 10
I. Butler b Malinga 25
D. Tuffey run out 2
S. Bond not out 1
Extras (b6, lb1, w10) 17
Total (for all out; 36.1 overs) 119
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Ryder), 2-5 (Guptill), 3-7 (Taylor), 4-37 (B. McCullum),
5-41 (Oram), 6-41 (N. McCullum), 7-76 (Vettori), 8-101 (Elliott), 9-116 (Tuffey), 10-119 (Butler).
Bowling: Kulasekara 6-1-18-2, Thushara 6-1-5-1, Mendis 7-1-14-0 (w1), Malinga 6.1-0-28-4 (w6), Mathews 5-0-19-0 (w3), Jayasuriya 6-0-28-2. |