Will Young made an unbeaten 90 and shared a 93-run opening partnership with Rachin Ravindra which propelled New Zealand to a nine wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international Sunday and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Earlier, Matt Henry took 4-19 as New Zealand bowled out Sri Lanka for 178 in just over 43 overs in a match played in chilly conditions at the Basin Reserve. New Zealand was 180-1 when it reached its winning target in the 27th over.
Young posted his 11th ODI half century and Ravindra returned to form with a bright 45 from 36 balls which included six fours and a six. Mark Chapman was 29 not out at the end.
“Obviously, changing formats and getting back into some one day cricket, the guys were excited,” said Henry who took three of his wickets bowling into the teeth of the gale. “It was great to get the series underway.”
New Zealand won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in on a pitch that had been covered because of recent rain, suiting the home team’s four-pronged pace attack. A bitter southerly wind blasted across the Basin Reserve throughout the match, dropping temperatures to 14 degrees (57 Fahrenheit) in high summer.
Avishka Fernando scored a gritty half century in an 87-run partnership with Janith Liyanage which provided the substance of Sri Lanka’s innings, rallying the tourists after they had slumped to 23-4 in the 10th over.
Fernando made 56, his fifth ODI half century, and Liyanage made 36, coming back into the Sri Lanka team after missing the three-match Twenty20 series which New Zealand won 2-1.
Henry, Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy all claimed early wickets to put Sri Lanka on the back foot, then New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner broke the key partnership between Fernando and Liyanage.
Santner took a wicket, effected a run out and took three catches from Henry’s bowling to take a busy role in Sri Lanka’s innings.
After a watchful start, Sri Lanka lost the key wicket of opener Pathum Nissanka in the fifth over.
Nissanka made 141 runs at an average of 47 in the T20 series. He had made only 9 Sunday when he tried to work a ball from Henry through midwicket but, as it seamed away, managed only to loop it to Santner at mid-off.
Santner produced a sharp piece of fielding to run out Kamindu Mendis (3) and captain Charith Asalanka was caught by wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay from Smith’s bowling.
Fernando and Liyanage steadily rebuilt the Sri Lanka innings, carrying it to 108-4 after 25 overs. The 26-year-old Fernando produced a defiant innings, reaching his half century from 52 balls with six fours and a six.
Liyanage tried to hoist a ball from Santner over the off side but skied it from a top edge and was caught by the substitute fielder Michael Bracewell. Fernando was out in the next over, driving at a ball from Smith which sliced to Glenn Phillips at backward point.
Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Wanindu Hasaranga (35) put on 48 for the seventh wicket before Henry returned and dismissed Wickramasinghe on 22.
The teams meet again at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Wednesday.
Source: AP
bd-pratidin/Rafid
