Friday, September 4, 2009

Black Caps saunter to victory

Shane Bond claimed three wickets as New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by 22 runs in the second and final Twenty20 international in Colombo.

Jesse Ryder clobbered 52 off just 37 deliveries and Brendon McCullum made 49 off 34, the two putting on 84 for the opening wicket in quick time as the visitors piled on a formidable 170 for four after Daniel Vettori won a good toss.

Mahela Jayawardene then made 41 and Kumar Sangakkara struck a valiant 69, but the home side managed only 148 for eight as New Zealand finished with a clean sweep in the two-match series.

Sri Lanka, chasing a daunting total, were left in disarray when Kyle Mills claimed the wickets of Sanath Jayasuriya (seven) and one-drop batsman Mahela Udawatte in successive overs after Bond had scalped the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan (one) in his first over with the new ball.

Bond exacted revenge for the mauling he had received at the hands of Dilshan in the previous game, getting the batsman to pull one straight to Martin Guptill at deep square leg in the first over.

Udawatte, who came in at the expense of Chamara Kapugedera, fell for a first-ball duck when he steered Mills straight to Neil Broom at point and Jayasuriya was snared by Mills to leave Sri Lanka 11 for three.

Jayawardene and Sangakkara were left with the task of rebuilding and the two began in earnest.

Mills had conceded just seven from his first two overs, but Jayawardene ruined his figures by smacking him for three boundaries in his third over.

The two shared a stand of 67 for the fourth wicket and Jayawardene was fast closing in on a half-century when off-spinner Nathan McCullum induced a leading edge which was neatly grasped by Ryder at backward point.

Angelo Mathews (one) was Nathan McCullum's second victim in as many overs, but Sangakkara had forged on in the company of the inexperienced Gihan Rupasinghe (18) - the two putting on 49 for the sixth wicket.

Sri Lanka were left needing 61 from the last five overs and later 44 from the last three when Rupasinghe holed out to Vettori at cover.

Sangakkara's valiant innings ended in the 19th over, Jacob Oram securing a caught and bowled dismissal to signal the end of Sri Lanka's resistance.

The hosts needed 28 from the last over, but instead Bond claimed his third wicket and conceded only five to present the Black Caps with victory.

Earlier, Ryder and Brendon McCullum had given New Zealand a flying start, putting on 84 runs for the first wicket in just over 10 overs.

McCullum had generated early momentum, smashing Lasith Malinga out of the attack by hammering him for a four and a six off consecutive deliveries in an over which yielded 19.

Ryder began with a mistimed drive which fell safely just beyond cover, but later picked off boundaries at will as New Zealand amassed 49 from the powerplay.

Sangakkara pressed Ajantha Mendis and Jayasuriya into the attack and the two stemmed the run-flow somewhat, but the other bowlers struggled to contain the Black Cap batsmen.

Much against the run of play, McCullum was dismissed just one short of a deserved half-century, the opener presenting Jayasuriya with a simple return catch as he attempted to turn one onto the on side.

Ryder, however, continued to take heavy toll, smacking Malinga Bandara for a six in the first over from the leg-spinner, while he hammered Dilshan for two sixes and a boundary, bringing up his half-century off just 34 deliveries in the process.

Mendis eventually removed Ryder, while Jayasuriya won a leg-before appeal against Taylor - top scorer in the first match - to send the middle-order batsman back for just 16.

Guptill (32) and Oram (17 not out), however, batted intelligently, steering the visitors past the 150-mark with a 43-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Guptill was bowled off the last ball of the innings by Malinga, his wicket providing the fast bowler some consolation.