Kiwis can stay alive by winning:

Jayawardene looking to wrap up series

ELMO Rodrigopulle

Sri Lanka will be looking to clip the wings of the Kiwis, by winning the fourth one-day international beginning at the Sooriyawewa Stadium, today and winning the series.

At the time of writing the weather is holding and 50-over each side game is likely and there would be no need for that dreaded pair of Duckworth and Lewis to enter the contest, like they did in the previous two games.

The Lankans led by the mercurial Mahela Jayewardene are with their tails up, with victories in the two previous games are expected to dominate this game too.

Whether the Lankans will go in with the same team that convincingly won the previous game remains to be seen. Generally teams prefer to play the team that won them the previous game.

But skipper Jayewardene is no believer in that style. He has shown enterprise and daring and believes in the horses for courses style. So don’t be surprised if there is a change or two in the team.

Jayewardene always takes the field with a team that can win. That’s how positive he is.

He has the support from all his team mates and that has made his captaincy job all the more easy. with Angelo Mathews batting the way we know he can, the Lankans waltzed to victory in the third game in Pallekele on Sunday. Opening batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan who is suffering from a back strain has been left out of the final two one day games against New Zealand in Hambantota, so that he could recover and be ready for the Two Test matches.

There is the likelihood of Mahela Jayewardene opening the batting with Dinesh Chandimal being included in the team.

Off Spinner Tharuindu Kaushal has been included in the Test squad against the Kiwis.

If the batsmen and bowlers continue their good form, then the Lankans can chalk up a victory and with it the one-day series. That will be some kind of compensation for their surprising loss in the World Cup Twenty20 final to the West Indies.

The Kiwis although losing the two games will take the field with determination and looking to win and keep the series alive. They were in good positions in the two games they lost and that they could not win was just one of those things.

Their in-form batsman is the hard hitting Brad Watling. He has struck in every game and will b looking to continue that good batting form. Pity that he missed a richly deserved century by four runs remaining unbeaten. Skipper Ross Taylor who was unfortunately run out in the previous game must be more watchful, because the team relies a lot on him for a big score. His captaincy too has been clever and will be probing for victory.

A Kiwi bowler who impressed was left arm seamer Trent Boult. He used the new ball intelligently, pitching on a good line and moving the ball both ways and troubling the batsmen.

The Lankan batsmen would do well to watch him.