New Zealand defeat Sri Lanka by two wickets in 20-20 world cup
The T-20 World championship is off to a cracking start as New Zealand edge out last year’s finalists Sri Lanka by 2 wickets in the opening match of the tournament in Providence, Guyana.
Nathan McCullum was the unlikely hero for the Black caps as he smashed Lasith malinga for a four and a six with-in the space of three deliveries when 10 were needed of the last over of the match.
After winning the toss the Sri Lankans opted to bat first on a sluggish wicket, the track was slow and batting tough.
Last year’s man of the tournament Tilkaratne Dilshan’s stay at the wicket was nothing less then a nightmare, as the usually flamboyant batsman stuttered to 3 runs of 19 balls, before being bowled by Jacob Oram.
Skipper Kumar Sangakkara also disappointed falling for only 4 runs off 11 balls, the south paw was cleaned up by Scott Styris.
On the other end the stylish Mahela Jayawardene looked in total control stroking the ball masterfully on all sides of the wicket, ensuring that the score board keeps ticking.
Debutant Chandimal played with g*y abandon, letting the exuberance of youth take control of his emotions the youngster looked full of promise, scoring 29 off only 22 balls hitting one four besides a towering six. He was superbly caught by Taylor off the bowling of Nathan Mc Cullum.
After Chandimal’s dismissal the wind went out of the Sri Lankan sails, the final few overs went in Black Caps favour, as the batsmen struggled to break the shackles.
The star for the Sri Lankans was Mahela Jayawardene, striking 81 off 51 balls. Shane Bond claimed two wickets, while Tim Southee, Nathan Mc Cullum, Scott Styris and Jacob Oram all ended up with a wicket each for the Black caps.
New Zealand’s chase started disastrously with the flamboyant Brendon McCullum falling for a duck to Angelo Matthews in the very first over of the innings, McCullum failed to trouble the scorers.
Jessie Ryder and Martin Guptill started their innings positively going for big boundaries early on, Ryder specially was in an attacking mood striking two sixes and three fours in his 42 that came off only 27 balls.
Ryder was dismissed by Muttiah Murailterhan, tow balls after he had smoked him for a six over mid-wicket.
Guptill and Ross Taylor fell cheaply as the Sri Lankans spinners choked the Black caps for runs in the middle overs of the innings; Taylor was a major disappointment making only 9 runs off 15 balls.
Scott Styris and Daniel Vettori brought the Black caps back in the game with some deft stroke play on a wearing pitch.
Styris was dismissed by Ajantha Mendis for 17 runs, Oram the left handed batsman known for his big hitting, did not disappoint clubbing Mendis for two successive sixes to swing the match back in New Zealand’s favour.
Oram was cleaned up by Welegedera for 15 off only 6 balls. Vettori scored crucial runs in the penultimate over, and it all boiled down to the final over with ten needed of six balls. Nathan McCullum sneaked a single off the first ball, a bye courtesy a missed run put opportunity by Malinga, brought the equation down to 8 off 4 balls.
McCullum flicked Malinga’s third delivery to the square-leg boundary to bring the Kiwis back in the match; Vettori sacrificed his wicket going for a suicidal second run of the fourth ball of the over. The penultimate ball was smeared over the long-off boundary for a six by Mc Cullum, as the Black Caps scraped through a 2 wicket win , and cause a big upset in the opening match of the world championship.
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