New Zealand edge out Sri Lanka
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first of two Twenty20
matches on Saturday as international cricket made an historic attempt to
break into the American market. However, the format’s reputation as a
carnival of brutal power-hitting suffered on a slow, lifeless pitch at
the 20,000-capacity Central Broward Regional Park Stadium at Lauderhill.
New Zealand struggled to a modest 120-7 off their 20 overs before Sri
Lanka were bowled out for just 92.
On a day of tough batting and bowling conditions, only two sixes were
hit in the entire match, which was hardly the kind of advertisement the
International Cricket Council (ICC) would have wanted.
Saturday’s match and a second on Sunday are the first cricket games
on US soil between two ICC full members.
Only two Sri Lankan batsmen managed to adapt to the conditions with
skipper Kumar Sangakkara making 17 and Angelo Mathews top-scoring with
27 before the 2009 World Twenty20 runners-up lost their last six wickets
for just 30 runs.
Experienced medium pacer Scott Styris did the damage with 3-10 off
three overs. Styris said: “It wasn’t too bad, this wicket suited me.”
Ross Taylor top-scored for New Zealand with 27 off 30 balls with skipper
Daniel Vettori contributing 21.
For Sri Lanka, spinner Ajantha Mendis starred with the ball, taking
2-18 off his four overs.
Vettori admitted his team’s batting had been a worry.
“It wasn’t much of a total, but we bowled well.
FORT LAUDERDALE, AFP
NEW ZEALAND
B McCullum c Mathews b Kulasekara 18
A Redmond c Malinga b Mathews 8
R Nicol b Randiv 10
L Taylor run out 27
S Styris b Mendis 10
D Vettori not out 21
M Guptill b Mendis 10
N McCullum c Jayawardene b Malinga 9
K Mills not out 2
EXTRAS (lb1, w4) 5
TOTAL (7 wickets; 20 overs) 120
Fall of wickets: 1-25 (B McCullum), 2-27 (Redmond), 3-51 (Nicol), 4-71 (Styris), 5-77 (Taylor), 6-94 (Guptill), 7-113 (N McCullum)
Bowling: Mathews 3-0-17-1, Kulasekara 3-0 22-1, Malinga 4-0-25-1 (2w), Randiv 2-0-12-1, Perera 4-0-25-0 (1w), Mendis 4-0-18-2
SRI LANKA
M Jayawardene c B McCullum b Mills 0
T Dilshan b Mills 6
K Sangakkara c Styris b Vettori 17
A Mathews c sub (J Oram) b Styris 27
C Kapugedera c Redmond b Styris 7
C Jayasinghe not out 9
N Perera c N McCullum b Styris 3
K Kulasekara run out 6
S Randiv c B McCullum b McKay 6
L Malinga run out 0
A Mendis b McKay 2
EXTRAS (b1, lb4, w3, nb1) 9
TOTAL (all out; 19.4 overs) 92
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Jayawardene), 2-20 (Dilshan), 3-48 (Sangakkara), 4-62 (Mathews),
5-62 (Kapugedera), 6-69 (Perera), 7-78 (Kulasekara), 8-85 (Randiv), 9-85 (Malinga), 10-92 (Mendis)
Bowling: Mills 4-0-17-2 (1w), McKay 3.4-0-20-2 (1nb), Southee 3-0-10-0 (1w), N McCullum 2-0-19-0 (1w), Vettori 4-0-11-1, Styris 3-0-10-3 |
