Published: Nov 12, 2013, 11:55 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 12, 2013, 11:55 PM (IST)
Tom Latham top-scored with 68-ball 86 against Sri Lanka © AFP
Nov 12, 2013
Tom Latham clobbered 86 while Nathan McCullum‘s nine-ball 32 not out to help New Zealand trump Sri Lanka by four wickets, in a thrilling second One-Day International (ODI) match at Hambantota on Tuesday. With this win, New Zealand take a 1-0 lead in their three-match series.
Chasing a revised total of 198 to win from 23 overs, New Zealand reached 203 for six after as many overs to seal win at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.
Latham smashed 12 boundaries and a six off 68 balls to score 86, while Luke Ronchi smashed 49 off 26 balls to keep New Zealand in hunt. The two Kiwis batsmen added a crucial 93 runs for the fifth wicket to stabilise New Zealand’s innings, after they were reduced to 68 for four in 10.5 overs.
Nuwan Kulasekara, who claimed four for 34 in the match, put New Zealand in tremendous pressure when he dismissed Latham and Ronchi within one over.
But Nathan McCullum’s power hitting in the final over — off which New Zealand needed 20 runs to win — ensured that the tourists emerge victorious.
McCullum swatted three sixes and a boundary off Rangana Herath’s final over to seal a thriling four-wicket win for New Zealand.
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Though Sri Lanka had reached 138 for one against New Zealand in 23 overs, the revised total for the tourists was 198 as per the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews had elected to bat after winning the toss. New Zealnd, like in the first match struck early as skipper Kyle Mills dismissed opener Dimuth Karunaratne for four.
The script continued on similar lines from the first match of the series as the experienced pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara struck a fifty each and put on a century stand for the second wicket.
The duo added 126 runs for the second wicket. Sangakkara was the aggressor with 59-ball 71 which included nine boundaries.
The hosts were on 117 for one in 20.4 overs when rain stopped play at Hambantota. Sri Lanka managed to add 21 runs off the last 14 balls, once the match resumed.
The total was revised to 198 runs according to teh Duckworth-Lewis method.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 138 for 1 in 23 overs (Tillakaratne Dilshan 55*, Kumar Sangakkara 71*) lost to New Zealand 203 for 6 in 23 overs (Tom Latham 86, Luke Ronchi 49, Nathan McCullum 32*; Nuwan Kulasekara 4 for 34) by 4 wickets through D/L method
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