Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand Live Cricket Score - 4th ODI match - Commentary

COMMENTARY

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Sri Lanka won by 7 wkts (D/L method) | Sri Lanka Vs New Zealand 4th ODI match

Have New Zealand got enough? I don't think so. The innings struggled for any momentum and Jeevan Mendis' googlies were a mystery to the Kiwis. The constant rain interuptions didn't help matters either. It should be an easy chase for the Lankans, will it be? We will be back shortly to know more...
End of over 32 ( 15 Runs )NZ 131/8 31.6Lasith Malinga to Adam Milne. SIX, what a shot to end the innings! Milne lines Malinga up, picks the slower delivery and lofts it all the way over long on - 15 from the final over and that's a good finish from Milne
31.5Lasith Malinga to Adam Milne. FOUR, lovely shot. Milne opens the face of the bat and drives wide of a diving point. Raced away
31.4Lasith Malinga to Adam Milne. 2 runs, first ball for Milne and he scoops it over cover - another slower delivery from Malinga, that's 4 slower ones in a row
31.3Lasith Malinga to Tim Southee. 1 run, Southee is early into the slog, gets a leading edge to third man
31.2Lasith Malinga to Tim Southee. no run, beautiful slower delivery, Southee swings across the line and misses - goes over off stump
31.1Lasith Malinga to Tim Southee. 2 runs, all sorts of things happening here. Southee miscued the slog and it fell in no-man's land - in front of long on who threw it to Sanga who missed his back-handed side-on flick, if he had hit - Southee was gone
Lasith Malinga [5.0-1-23-0] is back into the attack
Adam Milne, right handed bat, comes to the crease
End of over 31 ( 4 Runs )NZ 116/8 30.6Nuwan Kulasekara to James Franklin. out Lbw!! Plumb! Full, fast off stump yorker, Franklin shuffled across too much and missed the flick. Rest is history. Franklin lbw b Nuwan Kulasekara 21(37) [4s-1]
30.5Nuwan Kulasekara to James Franklin. no run, Franklin backed away too quickly and Nuwan Kulasekara fired it outside off
30.4Nuwan Kulasekara to Tim Southee. 1 run, driven hard and straight to mid off
30.3Nuwan Kulasekara to Tim Southee. no run, yorker length outside off, Southee tries to reach out and can't
30.2Nuwan Kulasekara to Tim Southee. 2 runs, dropped by Tharanga at deep square leg. Regulation take for the fielder after Southee miscued the slog, but Tharanga got both hands to it and shelled it
30.1Nuwan Kulasekara to James Franklin. 1 run, length ball on the pads, Franklin flicks it to deep mid wicket
Nuwan Kulasekara [4.0-1-13-1] is back into the attack
Don't know what the confusion is, but the umpires are discussing with the bowler, the captain and the batsmen. Looks like it is sorted and we are ready to go again.
End of over 30 ( 6 Runs )NZ 112/7 29.6Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. 1 run, on the pads, Franklin gets forward and flicks it to deep mid wicket
29.5Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. 2 runs, uses his feet and flicks to deep mid wicket for a couple
29.4Jeevan Mendis to Tim Southee. 1 run, slogged away to deep mid wicket
29.3Jeevan Mendis to Tim Southee. no run, wild slog and Southee connects thin air to a ball outside off
29.3Jeevan Mendis to Tim Southee. wide, the first ball after the break is a wide down the leg side
Once again it is Roshan with this tweet: 'Chances are that we may have a restart at around 9pm. This will need final confirmation. This is how it looks as at now.'
Roshan Abeysinghe tweets: 'The cut off time is 11.15. And if a 20 over has to be played it has to start at around 9.45. The clearing takes 45 mts which means 9 pm.'
7:40 local: It is still drizzling out there and looks like it may take a while before we get any play.
Mahela isn't happy with the slippery conditions and the drizzle has gotten heavier which ensures the covers are on. Franklin isn't happy with something - he has a chat with the umpires before storming off.
3 wickets for Jeevan Mendis. Jeevan Mendis is on a roll. 29.2Jeevan Mendis to Andrew Ellis. out Lbw!! Another one for Jeevan Mendis. This time the top-spinner and Ellis made the fatal decision of sweeping, missed and was struck right in front of off and middle. Easy call for the umpire. Ellis lbw b Jeevan Mendis 0(3)
29.1Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. 1 run, a tight single after Franklin edged the googly, it goes to short third where Kula fumbles
End of over 29 ( 1 Runs )NZ 106/6 28.6Angelo Mathews to Andrew Ellis. no run, defended to point
28.5Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. 1 run, Franklin tried to drive through cover, a thickish inside edge goes to deep mid wicket
The rain is getting heavier, but play continues for the moment.
28.4Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, good length outside off, Franklin defends to short cover
28.3Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, short outside off, Franklin thought about the upper cut, then pulled out of the shot
28.2Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, Franklin takes a step out, sees the full ball outside off and lets it go
28.1Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, good length outside off, Franklin gets forward and defends to mid off
End of over 28 ( 2 Runs )NZ 105/6 27.6Jeevan Mendis to Andrew Ellis. no run, no he can't. Too full - and it was the attempted googly - Ellis gets forward to defend
Will Jeevan Mendis bowl another google? There have been 7 hat-tricks by Sri Lankan bowlers, will Jeevan Mendis become the man to get the 8th? Here we go
As N McCullum got out, a few drops of rain appear on the scene.
Andrew Ellis, right handed bat, comes to the crease
27.5Jeevan Mendis to Nathan McCullum. out Bowled!! They aren't picking the googles and Jeevan Mendis is on a hat-trick. Fab googly again from Jeevan Mendis, N McCullum had no clue, pushed well outside the line and the ball turned in a long way to hit off stump. Mendis has a huge smile on his face. N McCullum b Jeevan Mendis 0(1)
Nathan McCullum, right handed bat, comes to the crease
5 wickets down for NZ. Out batsman is Kane Williamson 27.4Jeevan Mendis to Kane Williamson. out Bowled!! Lovely! Brilliant google, drew Williamson forward into the drive, missed the bat, went between bat and pad and clattered onto the stumps. A leg-spinners dream! Williamson b Jeevan Mendis 21(29) [4s-2]
27.3Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. 1 run, driven to mid off
27.2Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. no run, googly from Jeevan Mendis and Franklin reads it, before defending
27.1Jeevan Mendis to Kane Williamson. 1 run, Williamson uses his feet and drives to long off
End of over 27 ( 1 Runs )NZ 103/4 26.6Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, stump to stump line, Franklin can only defend it back to Mathews
26.5Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, chopped without any timing to point. Too many dots played by these two - they need to get a move on
26.4Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, Franklin shuffles across his stumps and defends it back to Mathews
26.3Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, good leave from Franklin, it was close to off stump and he left it
26.2Angelo Mathews to Kane Williamson. 1 run, leg stump, full, Williamson flicks to deep square leg
26.1Angelo Mathews to Kane Williamson. no run, slight movement in the air, full on off, Williamson defends
End of over 26 ( 2 Runs )NZ 102/4 25.6Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. no run, dabbed to short third, 3 dots in a row
25.5Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. no run, driven hard to cover, where there is a slight fumble, but they don't take the risk
25.4Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. no run, flicked to square leg
25.3Jeevan Mendis to Kane Williamson. 1 run, uses his feet and drives wide of mid on
25.2Jeevan Mendis to Kane Williamson. no run, driven back to Jeevan Mendis
25.1Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. 1 run, gets forward and drives to mid off, a quick single taken
End of over 25 ( 5 Runs )NZ 100/4 24.6Angelo Mathews to Kane Williamson. no run, angled into off and middle, Williamson pushes it to the on side
24.5Angelo Mathews to Kane Williamson. no run, good length on off stump, Williamson gets right behind the line and defends
100 runs for NZ 24.4Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. 1 run, the 100 comes up with a forward push to mid on
24.3Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. FOUR, a thick outside edge and it runs away past the vacant slip position, third man tries to stop with a slide, but the ball beats him
24.2Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, slanted across Franklin who lets it go
24.1Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. no run, gets right behind the line and defends it back to Mathews
End of over 24 ( 5 Runs )NZ 95/4 23.6Jeevan Mendis to Kane Williamson. FOUR, very short on the stumps, Williamson rocks back and pulls to deep square leg where the pace on the shot beats a diving Thirimanne
23.5Jeevan Mendis to Kane Williamson. no run, loud shout for LBW, looked very adjacent to off stump, it missed the inside edge of Williamson and hit him on the back leg. Only an inside edge onto the pads could've saved him there
23.4Jeevan Mendis to Kane Williamson. no run, gets forward and pushes it to mid on who is inside the circle
23.3Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. 1 run, Franklin goes on the backfoot and whips it to deep square leg
23.2Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. no run, nearly bowled! Franklin French-cuts it through the legs and it misses leg-stump narrowly
23.1Jeevan Mendis to James Franklin. no run, Franklin leaves a regulation leggie that turns back in
Jeevan Mendis, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
End of over 23 ( 5 Runs )NZ 90/4 22.6Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. leg byes, 1 run, down leg, Franklin misses the flick, it runs off the pad and they take a leg-bye
22.5Angelo Mathews to Kane Williamson. 1 run, short delivery on the head, Williamson half-swivels and pulls to fine leg
22.4Angelo Mathews to Kane Williamson. no run, Mathews bends his back and extracts bounce after a short delivery is ducked under by Williamson
22.3Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. 1 run, short of length outside off, Franklin punches it square of the wicket
22.2Angelo Mathews to Kane Williamson. 1 run, pushed with soft hands to silly mid on, well judged single taken
22.1Angelo Mathews to James Franklin. 1 run, good length on off stump, Franklin gets an outside edge to third man
Angelo Mathews [2.0-0-8-0] is back into the attack
Drinks are on the field now
End of over 22 ( 7 Runs )NZ 85/4 21.6Lasith Malinga to James Franklin. 1 run, full and swinging in on the pads, flicked to backward square leg
21.5Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. 1 run, Williamson rises onto his toes and drops it with soft hands on the on side - an easy single
21.4Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. 2 runs, full on the pads, Williamson flicks to deep mid wicket, for an easy couple
21.3Lasith Malinga to James Franklin. leg byes, 1 run, swinging in, on the pads, Franklin fails to get any bat on it and it runs away allowing the batsmen to get a leg-bye
21.2Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. 1 run, length ball outside off, Williamson opens the face of the bat and steers it to third man
21.1Lasith Malinga to James Franklin. 1 run, short ball on the hips, Franklin swivels slightly and pulls to deep square leg
End of over 21 ( 5 Runs )NZ 78/4 20.6Rangana Herath to James Franklin. 1 run, dabbed to short third man and Franklin will retain the strike with that run
20.5Rangana Herath to Kane Williamson. 1 run, punched wide of a diving square leg
20.4Rangana Herath to James Franklin. 1 run, turned through mid wicket, Thiri charges in and prevents the 2nd
20.3Rangana Herath to Kane Williamson. 1 run, backfoot punch to sweeper cover
20.2Rangana Herath to James Franklin. 1 run, gets forward and pushes it to long on - is off the mark
James Franklin, left handed bat, comes to the crease
20.1Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. out Caught by Chandimal at long on!! The pressure tells on Brendon McCullum and he holes out. Good overhead catch by Chandi who took it over his head with both hands. McCullum giving the charge and not getting enough elevation on the flat hit to clear the fielder. Brendon McCullum c Chandimal b Herath 30(44) [4s-2 6s-1]
End of over 20 ( 6 Runs )NZ 73/3 19.6Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. no run, Williamson gets right behind the line and defends this ball on the stumps
19.5Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. FOUR, beautiful backfoot cover drive, went back and found the timing to beat Chandimal's diving attempt. That should give him confidence
19.4Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. no run, called one for the over - the short ball and Williamson ducks under it
30 runs for Brendon McCullum 19.3Lasith Malinga to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, neatly punched square of the wicket, Brendon McCullum playing it late and getting it in the gap
19.2Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. 1 run, Williamson tried to play that through the leg side and gets a thickish leading edge wide of point
19.1Lasith Malinga to Kane Williamson. no run, Malinga comes back and beats Williamson outside off with a gentle loosener, nothing shot from Williamson who prodded without any conviction
Lasith Malinga [3.0-1-11-0] is back into the attack
End of over 19 ( 3 Runs )NZ 67/3 18.6Rangana Herath to Kane Williamson. 1 run, punched nicely to sweeper cover, and Williamson is off the mark
18.6Rangana Herath to Kane Williamson. wide, down leg side and a wide called
18.5Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, punched wide of mid on
18.4Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, flicked to square leg
18.3Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, Brendon McCullum calmly defends a middle and leg stump ball on the stumps
18.2Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, once again Brendon McCullum finds the short cover
18.1Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, Brendon McCullum gets forward and defends to short cover
End of over 18 ( 1 Runs )NZ 64/3 17.6Thisara Perera to Kane Williamson. no run, pitched up outside off, driven firmly but straight to the fielder at mid off
17.5Thisara Perera to Kane Williamson. no run, short of length on off stump, Williamson is solid in his defensive stroke
17.4Thisara Perera to Kane Williamson. no run, tapped to the left of point and Brendon McCullum sends Williamson back
17.3Thisara Perera to Kane Williamson. no run, full outside off, with a hint of away movement, Williamson shoulders arms
17.2Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, Brendon McCullum shuffles across to off and tucks it through mid wicket
17.1Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. no run, Brendon McCullum tries to cut that too hard and ends up chopping it back to Thisara Perera
End of over 17 ( 1 Runs )NZ 63/3 16.6Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, Brendon McCullum prevents the maiden by driving the last ball to long off
16.5Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, quicker and sliding on, Brendon McCullum is almost caught on the crease, but gets an inside edge to backward square leg
16.4Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, driven to short cover
16.3Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, driven straight to the fielder at short cover
16.2Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, comes on the frontfoot and defends
16.1Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, gets forward and defends to short cover
Kane Williamson, right handed bat, comes to the crease
End of over 16 ( 2 Runs )NZ 62/3 3 wickets down for NZ. Out batsman is Ross Taylor 15.6Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. out Caught by Sangakkara!!Poor stroke from Ross Taylor and it contributes to his demise. Very wide delivery outside off and he threw the bat at it, getting a fat edge in the process. Ross Taylor c Sangakkara b Thisara Perera 6(17)
15.5Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. no run, cut hard and straight to point
15.4Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, Brendon McCullum stays beside the line and cuts square of the wicket
15.3Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. 1 run, tapped wide of mid on and an easy single
15.2Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. no run,
15.1Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. no run, fullish outside off, Ross Taylor pushes it to mid off
End of over 15 ( 3 Runs )NZ 60/2 14.6Rangana Herath to Ross Taylor. 1 run, another quick single is taken to mid on
14.5Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, driven to long off
14.4Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, push driven to Herath
14.3Rangana Herath to Ross Taylor. 1 run, comes on the frontfoot and places it wide of mid on
14.2Rangana Herath to Ross Taylor. no run, flicked to square leg, straight to the fielder
14.1Rangana Herath to Ross Taylor. no run, gets forward and pushes it to the on side
End of over 14 ( 4 Runs )NZ 57/2 13.6Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. 1 run, Ross Taylor gets forward and plays that wide of mid on, retains the strike with that run
13.5Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. no run, pitched up outside off, Ross Taylor tries to drive through the off side and mistimes it back to Thisara Perera
13.4Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, Brendon McCullum jumps back and works it through mid wicket
13.3Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. 1 run, pushed wide of a diving point and this time they take the quick single
13.2Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. no run, a brave leave. The ball jags back in a long way and goes over the off stump. Ross Taylor must have left it on length
13.1Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, a thickish outside edge runs away wide of point
End of over 13 ( 3 Runs )NZ 53/2 12.6Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, Brendon McCullum will retain strike by flicking that to square leg
12.5Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, dug out to the right of Herath who goes across to stop it
12.4Rangana Herath to Ross Taylor. 1 run, played wide of point
12.3Rangana Herath to Ross Taylor. no run, gets forward and defends
12.2Rangana Herath to Ross Taylor. no run, once again, lots of confusion between the two - tapped wide of short cover and Brendon McCullum sent Ross Taylor back in time after Taylor had come a fair bit down
12.1Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, punched to long on
End of over 12 ( 7 Runs )NZ 50/2 11.6Thisara Perera to Ross Taylor. no run, left alone to a ball outside off
50 runs for NZ 11.5Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, nearly another run-out. What is Brendon McCullum doing out there - only he must know, calls Ross Taylor through and if Chandimal had hit, Taylor would've been gone - in fact he had already given up
11.4Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. FOUR, brute! Absolute brute from Thisara Perera and he nearly gets Brendon McCullum. Rising from a back of a length and hits McCullum on the shoulder of the bat and loops way over Sanga's glove. Runs away to the third man boundary
Ross Taylor, right handed bat, comes to the crease
11.3Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. out Watling Run Out!! 1 run completed. Brendon McCullum apologises to Watling after the run-out, but that won't soothe the poor man. It was played to mid wicket, Watling was never interested in the 2nd, it was McCullum who pushed him and the relay throw did the rest. Even a desperate dive from Watling wasn't good enough. Watling run out (Nuwan Kulasekara/Jeevan Mendis) 15(26) [4s-1]
Crazy from Brendon McCullum and he has run out Watling. Never a 2nd run and a waste of a wicket.
11.2Thisara Perera to BJ Watling. 1 run, tucked with the angle wide of short mid wicket
11.1Thisara Perera to BJ Watling. no run, how do you play that? Can't is the answer. Angled in, around off, straightens and then zips away like a venomous Cobra leaving Watling flabbergasted. Did well not to nick that. Too good
End of over 11 ( 8 Runs )NZ 43/1 10.6Rangana Herath to BJ Watling. 1 run, punched to long off
10.5Rangana Herath to BJ Watling. no run, slower and on middle and leg, Watling gets forward to defend
10.4Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, turned through mid wicket
10.3Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, pushed to point where Chandimal fields
10.2Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. SIX, didn't take long, did it? Brendon McCullum comes down the track and goes over long off with a clean hit. Nice use of the feet
10.1Rangana Herath to Brendon McCullum. no run, fraction short outside off, cut without any timing to short cover
Rangana Herath, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack
End of over 10 ( 3 Runs )NZ 35/1 9.6Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. leg byes, 1 run, a chance for a run-out, but Brendon McCullum did the right thing by following the line and not giving Thisara Perera a chance to aim at the stumps. It ricocheted off pad after McCullum missed the flick, Perera was charging forward, turned around and aimed, but missed
9.5Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. no run, short of length on off stump, Brendon McCullum defends
9.4Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. no run, punched to short cover
9.3Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. no run, short of length and around off stump, Brendon McCullum pushes it back to Thisara Perera
9.2Thisara Perera to BJ Watling. 1 run, leg-stump again, flicked to backward square leg, where Thirimanne charges in to prevent the 2nd
9.1Thisara Perera to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, angling into the pads, Brendon McCullum closes the face of the bat and glances it to fine leg
Thisara Perera, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
End of over 9 ( 5 Runs )NZ 32/1 8.6Angelo Mathews to BJ Watling. FOUR, Mathews spoils a good over by bowling short and wide outside off, Watling cashes in by cutting wide of point
8.5Angelo Mathews to BJ Watling. no run, short of length on off stump, Watling again punches it to mid on
8.4Angelo Mathews to BJ Watling. no run, punched to mid on from the crease
8.3Angelo Mathews to BJ Watling. no run, good length on off stump, Watling pushes it with soft hands to mid on
8.2Angelo Mathews to BJ Watling. no run, Watling defends to the on side
8.1Angelo Mathews to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, Brendon McCullum rocks back and punches wide of mid on, rotates the strike
End of over 8 ( 8 Runs )NZ 27/1 7.6Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. 2 runs, pitched up outside off, Watling gets forward and drives with an open face past Chandimal at point, a couple taken
7.5Nuwan Kulasekara to Brendon McCullum. 1 run, a thick inside edge from Brendon McCullum and the ball runs down to fine leg
7.4Nuwan Kulasekara to Brendon McCullum. no run, back to solid defence
7.3Nuwan Kulasekara to Brendon McCullum. FOUR, smashed! Not that short, just pure power from Brendon McCullum who rocks back and hammers it through cover. No one moved
7.2Nuwan Kulasekara to Brendon McCullum. no run, huge swing for Nuwan Kulasekara, Brendon McCullum tucks it to short mid wicket
7.1Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. 1 run, tucked off the hips and wide of backward square leg
End of over 7 ( 3 Runs )NZ 19/1 6.6Angelo Mathews to Brendon McCullum. no run, punched to short cover
6.5Angelo Mathews to Brendon McCullum. no run, length ball on the stumps, Brendon McCullum defends
6.4Angelo Mathews to Brendon McCullum. no run, shuffles across to off and defends to square leg
6.3Angelo Mathews to Brendon McCullum. no run, pitched up outside off, Brendon McCullum lets it go
6.2Angelo Mathews to BJ Watling. 3 runs, whippity whip to a ball around off, almost VVSesque and the slow outfield ensures that Herath stops it
6.1Angelo Mathews to BJ Watling. no run, full on off, driven hard and straight back at Mathews who stops with his right hand
Angelo Mathews, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
Brendon McCullum, right handed bat, comes to the crease
End of over 6 ( 3 Runs )NZ 16/1 5.6Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. out Caught by Tharanga at mid on!! It was always going to happen. Nicol was adventurous and paid the price. Didn't get to the pitch after stepping out and lobbed a dolly to Tharanga. Nuwan Kulasekara deserved that wicket. Nicol c Tharanga b Nuwan Kulasekara 11(24) [4s-2]
5.6Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. wide, too much swing for Nuwan Kulasekara - he drifts down leg and a wide called
5.5Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. no run, full outside off, Nicol gets forward and drives to mid off
5.4Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. no run, pushed to short cover
5.3Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. no run, well bowled! Peach from Nuwan Kulasekara as he angles it in and then after pitching around off, the ball wooshes away past the attempted drive of Nicol. Nicol appreciates the quality of the delivery by wearing a bemused expression on his face
5.2Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. no run, bat on pad rather than bat on ball. Nicol hits the pad with the bat as Nuwan Kulasekara goes outside off. A stifled appeal for a caught behind is turned down and rightly so
5.2Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. wide, a very high bouncer and wided for the 2nd time
5.2Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. wide, short down leg - easy call for the ump
5.1Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. no run, ugly swipe from Nicol - jumped out and aimed at deep mid wicket, but the ball cut back in to go between bat and pad
End of over 5 ( 5 Runs )NZ 13/0 4.6Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. 1 run, Nicol tries to drive a full one outside off and gets a thickish outside edge along the ground to third man
4.5Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, fullish outside off, Nicol shoulders arms
4.4Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, Nicol once again uses his feet and didn't get hold of it this time - on the bounce to mid off
4.3Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, on off stump, defended to point
4.2Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, short of length on off stump, Nicol defends it to short cover
4.1Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. FOUR, just wide of the diving Mahela at 2nd slip. Nicol steps out and gets a leading edge on the attempted flick - went to the right and just beyond the grasp
End of over 4 ( 2 Runs )NZ 8/0 3.6Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, short of length outside off, punched firmly, but straight to the fielder at cover
3.5Nuwan Kulasekara to Rob Nicol. 1 run, Nicol gets an inside edge and the ball runs away down to fine leg
3.4Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. 1 run, Watling opens the face of the bat and punches it to third man
3.3Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, full on off stump, Watling gets forward and drives to mid on
3.2Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, pushed to cover from the crease
3.1Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, pacy short ball, over Watling's head, but called one for the over
End of over 3 ( 6 Runs )NZ 6/0 2.6Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, Nicol allows that short of length delivery outside off to go through to the keeper
2.5Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, Malinga comes back well with a good one. Beats Nicol on the forward defensive with a hint of away movement
2.4Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. FOUR, whipped! Full on middle and leg, Nicol just bottom-handed that on drive wide of mid on. Wonderful timing on that shot
2.3Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, beaten! Hint of swing in and then seam movement away to beat Nicol's forward push. Nice bowling from Malinga
2.2Lasith Malinga to BJ Watling. 1 run, edged with soft hands and Mahela at 2nd slip dives to his right to palm it down, still Watling will get off the mark with that single
2.1Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. 1 run, right off the toe of the bat and over the head of Chandimal at point. Nicol giving the charge and trying to go over cover
End of over 2 ( 0 Runs )NZ 0/0 maiden over bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara 1.6Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, a second successive maiden for Sri Lanka as Watling calmly defends
1.5Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, Nuwan Kulasekara is making the ball talk - swing in to Watling who gets an inside edge onto the pads in trying to drive - 11 dots in a row now
1.4Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, now Nuwan Kulasekara beats Watling with one that snaked away a tad, Watling looking to punch through the off side and missing
1.3Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, inside edge onto the pads saves Watling who was looking to drive through cover. Swing for Nuwan Kulasekara early on
1.2Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, short of length and seaming back in, Watling pushes it back to Nuwan Kulasekara
1.1Nuwan Kulasekara to BJ Watling. no run, patted to point
Nuwan Kulasekara, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
End of over 1 ( 0 Runs )NZ 0/0 maiden over bowled by Lasith Malinga 0.6Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, a maiden over from Malinga as Nicol gets forward and defends to cover. Malinga gave nothing away in that opening over
0.5Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, Malinga goes a bit wide of the crease and bangs it in, defended to point
0.4Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, good leave as Malinga goes short of length outside off with a hint of away swing
0.3Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, steps out and defends it firmly to cover
0.2Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, calmly defended to point from the crease
0.1Lasith Malinga to Rob Nicol. no run, Nicol jumps out to unsettle Malinga and the ball snakes away past the bat after pitching on a short of length. Nicol has a wry smile at Malinga after the ball missed the bat
Nicol and Watling are at the crease. Nicol is on strike. Malinga will open the attack
The players are walking out. The lights are on as the sun sets slowly at Hambantota. We are all set for some action
Revised playing conditions: Match has been reduced to 42 overs a side. The powerplay will be for 9 overs and 4 overs of batting powerplay. Two can bowl 9 and three can bowl 8 overs.
4:20 local: Roshan Abeysinghe has tweeted that there is an inspection scheduled in 10 minutes.
3:35 local: Great news - the rain has stopped and the main cover has come off now.
3:15 local: It looks to have brightened up in the middle. Rain seems to have stopped for the moment.
2:40 local: The news isn't any better from Hambantota - it is still drizzling and it looks like a test of patience for everyone.
Teams:
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene(c), Kumar Sangakkara(w), Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga
New Zealand (Playing XI): Rob Nicol, BJ Watling(w), Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor(c), Kane Williamson, James Franklin, Andrew Ellis, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
Taylor: 'Obviously we would have liked to bowl first, but we need to get a good start. Hope the weather can stay away and would like to post a competitive total. Ellis comes in for Oram and Adam Milne makes his ODI debut, replacing Kyle Mills. Watling has been very good at the top and hope he can continue in the same vein.'
Mahela: 'Looks a good wicket to bat, but the weather looks very scary and we would look to bowl first and capitalise. We have done it pretty well [chasing] in the last two games and we would look to continue that. Chandimal comes in for Dilshan.'
Pitch report: Craig McMillan says that he heard some of the loudest thunder and plenty of rain last night. There are very dark patches which suggests that there is a fair bit of moisture. McMillan reckons that the surface will help the new ball bowlers and batting won't be easy. The captain winning the toss would like to bowl first.
Live visuals from the ground show the covers are on and the skies look very dark. Not good signs, hopefully we will get some action.
Sri Lanka have won the toss and elected to field
A warm welcome to the fourth ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand from Hambantota. Sri Lanka lead the series 2-0 and would be looking to finish it off today so that they can give the fringe players a go in the final ODI. Dilshan who made a wonderful unbeaten 102 in the last game is injured and will miss the rest of the series. Will that be a big blow to Sri Lanka? We'll know pretty soon. Do stay tuned for the toss and the teams in a bit.
Preview

New Zealand will hope the weather doesn't play a part again and that they get back to winnings ways when they take on Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI at Hambantota. The visitors will hope that the change in venue will bring them some much needed luck as they face 2-0 deficit against the hosts. For Sri Lanka, it will be a matter of carrying forward their good run and they will want to seal the series and assert their dominance.

New Zealand:

The visitors have had some good performances coming into the make-or-break game. BJ Watling, Rob Nicol and Ross Taylor have had some good outings with the bat and will be confident of carrying on while James Franklin and Nathan McCullum's form lower down too will give them hope of performing well with the bat.

Their main worry would be their display with the ball. Kyle Mills has led the attack admirably, but without the experience of the wily Daniel Vettori to fall back on, the bowlers have been unable to cut down on the SL scoring.

Sri Lanka:

Sri Lanka were dealt a big blow when the in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan was ruled out of the next two matches, but their batting still holds a lot of potential with the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews among others. Sangakkara's form so far would be a cause for concern, and with Dilshan missing out SL will hope for the stylish left-hander to come good.

On the bowling front, Lasith Malinga has been performing well and has been ably supported by the likes of Jeevan Mendis and Rangana Herath. Mathews too has been hard to get away with his slower ones.

Final word:

Sri Lanka will go into the game as favourites, but the 2-0 scoreline only exaggerates the hosts' dominance in this series. New Zealand have been performing well and will be confident of pulling one back.
Teams:
Sri Lanka (From): Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Mahela Jayawardene(c), Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Dinesh Chandimal, Akila Dananjaya Perera, Shaminda Eranga, Tharindu Kaushal
New Zealand (From): Rob Nicol, BJ Watling, Brendon McCullum(w), Ross Taylor(c), Jacob Oram, James Franklin, Kane Williamson, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Andrew Ellis, Ronnie Hira, Tom Latham, Adam Milne

Updated at: 2013-05-04 01:48:42

Match details

Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field

Umpires: Ian Gould (Eng) and Ruchira Palliyaguru (SL)

TV umpire: Tyron Wijewardene (SL)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zim)

PLAYING XI

Sri Lanka

Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene(c), Kumar Sangakkara(wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga

New Zealand

Rob Nicol, BJ Watling(wk), Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor(c), Kane Williamson, James Franklin, Andrew Ellis, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Trent Boult

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