http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 - 74/7 in 14 overs (game reduced to 14 overs a side due to rain interruptions)
Put into bat first after losing the toss, the Kiwis struggled desperately against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in the only Twenty20 of their tour, played at the Pallekele International stadium
After facing a delayed start due to rain, the match took off with the newly appointed skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SL-Malinga-c2540 were rested for the game, young find Akila Dananjaya,
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ranaweera-Mudiyanselage-Shaminda-Eranga-c83939 were drafted in the playing XI.
The Kiwis brought in Tom Latham to open with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BB-McCullum-c1129 was up next, only
to be cleaned up by Kulsekara, before Nicol too had to depart, caught in front of the stumps by Eranga. With the top three gone, the Black Caps were in shambles, as the board read 15 after nearly 6 overs down.
With http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KC-Sangakkara-c1779), leaving the side at 24/5 in the 9th
over, before rain interrupted the proceedings once again.
Reduced to 14 overs a side, the game resumed, with the Kiwi lower order having its work cut out. However, the Lankan bowlers were unrelenting, and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BJ-Watling-c1172 was dismissed shortly after resumption, bagged by the young Akila Dananjaya.
At the end of 10 overs, the New Zealanders stood at 34 for the loss of 6 wickets, before http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TG-Southee-c2659 came to their rescue. The trio was able to finish the 14 overs with 74 runs on the board - a commendable effort to say the least.
Despite the Lankans giving runs away near the end (with two expensive overs by Perera and Eranga, costing them 14 and 16 runs respectively), it was an impressive bowling performance on their part. Mathews was the only bowler to remain wicketless, but he
more than made up for that by an economy rate of 1.33 in his 3 overs.
The Sri Lankan batsmen should have an easy chase ahead of them, provided rain does not interrupt again.
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