Sri Lanka vs. New Zealand: Stats and Trivia – ICC World Cup 2011
Sri Lanka and New Zealand are all set to challenge each other in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2011, on Tuesday. New Zealand made it through to the semi-final after all the ups and downs and gut wrenching moments that they provide everyone in
the first two rounds of the mega event. On the other side, the mighty Sri Lankan Lions are entering this game confident to topple New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
A beautiful batting track, the Premadasa wicket has a very poor record in chasing, as teams batting first, have won 17 out of the last 24 games. However Sri Lanka defeated http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 by chasing a decent total of 229 in the quarter-final at the venue.
Sri Lanka and New Zealand have met each other on 73 occasions in the 50-overs cricket. Out of 73 matches, the Sri Lankan Lions have 33 wins to their credit, while the Black Caps won in 35 games. Thus, it is a kind of even situation between the two big guns
of international cricket.
Sri Lanka and New Zealand have also played against each other in the group match of the ongoing World Cup where Sri Lanka thrashed the Kiwis convincingly by 112 runs. Kumar Sangakkara scored a fine hundred in that game, as Muttiah Muralitharan picked up
four crucial wickets.
The Sri Lankan side has a better record when they play against New Zealand in their own conditions, as in the Subcontinent, Sri Lanka lead 16-5 and at home they have won 15 out of 19 matches. In the World Cup head-to-head clashes, Sri Lanka is leading by
5-3.
New Zealand scored 315 runs in a One Day International game against Sri Lanka in 2009, the highest score in any Sri Lanka versus New Zealand match. Sri Lanka has won the last four World Cup encounters between these two teams, as they were beaten by the Kiwis
in the 1992 tournament.
With 363 runs apiece, Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Tharanga are the highest run-scorers for Sri Lanka. The captain, Kumar Sangakkara is 111 short of his 1000 mark in World Cup tournaments. Mahela Jayawardene is the highest run-scorer against New Zealand in
the current Sri Lankan side, as he needs just 76 to complete his 1000 runs against the Black Caps.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 with 72 dismissals in 40 matches. Muralitharan is playing his last mega event, so if the Sri Lankan team loses
this match, it will be his last World Cup appearance.
New Zealand's Tim Southee is one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament with his 15 scalps. The most successful Kiwi batsman in the tournament is Ross http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915 who has scored 288 runs with 14 sixes. James Franklin needs 39 more runs to reach his 1000
mark in 50-over cricket however, he has yet to score his first ODI century. Scott Styris has scored a few World Cup centuries against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, but both came in defeats.
The mouth watering semi-final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand will definitely provide the best entertainment of the tournament, as the Black Caps are determined to break their World Cup semi-final jinx. The game promises to be a thrilling contest, as players
of both teams will play out of their skins for a triumph to move into the ultimate contest to win the coveted World Cup trophy.
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