Clinical New Zealand beat Sri Lanka comprehensively by 7 wickets in the first ODI played at Hagely Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.
The Black Caps needed only 21 overs to surpass Sri Lanka’s below-par total of 188, having set up their victory by taking five wickets inside 10 overs despite the tourists winning the toss and electing to bat on a good pitch.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews was delighted to bat first, describing the pitch as a “belter” for batsmen. The Lankan top order crumbled in the face of some accurate and disciplined fast bowling from Matt Henry and Adam Milne as Sri Lanka crashed to 27 for 5 inside 10 overs.
Danushka Gunathilaka gave the faintest of edges to wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi off Adam Milne in the 3rd over. Dilshan top edged a pull to debutant, Nicholls off Henry and then the big Kiwi fast-bowler had two wickets in two balls when Lahiru Thrimanne was struck plumb in front departing for a laborious 1 from 19 balls while skipper Mathews was out for a golden duck.
Chandimal was infused into a push outside his body and the ball graced the edge straight to first slip as the South Asian islanders were in big trouble before the first fielding restrictions were even over. Chamara Kapugedara playing his first ODI after 3 years gave little resistance but played a rather loose shot when he found Mitchell Santner at extra cover in the 18th over.
Fortunately Milinda Siriwardana’s career-best 66 spared Sri Lanka from one indignity as the late-developing 29-year-old gave his bowlers something to bowl at. Siriwardana made the most of his reprieve when dropped on 10 by Nicholls and featured in a record 98-run stand for the seventh wicket with Nuwan Kulasekera, who provided the only other tangible resistance with a 58 highlighted by five sixes and two boundaries.
“We just had to bat well and put pressure on the Kiwis but unfortunately we just kept losing wickets in the first 10 overs when five of our batters were back in the pavilion,”
Mathews said. “It was tough going but it was a great effort by Milinda Siriwardana and Nuwan Kulasekara.”
Chasing 189 runs to win, Brendon McCullum made one of his trademark ballistic innings by scoring a half century from 23 balls as he and opening partner Martin Guptill put on 108 runs in just 10.1 overs. McCullum made 55, Guptill 79 and Henry Nicholls scored 23 not out on debut, hitting the winning runs.
Sri Lanka’s find of 2015, Siriwardana dismissed both McCullum and Guptill but the hosts’ cruised to the target with 29 overs to spare.
The second one-day international will be played on 28th December at the same venue.
Full Scorecard
| Batsman | How Out | Bowler | Runs | Mins | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Gunathilaka | c Ronchi | b Milne | 8 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 72.72 |
| Dilshan | c Nicholls | b Henry | 9 | 26 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 90.00 |
| Thirimanne | lbw | b Henry | 1 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 5.26 |
| Chandimal | c Taylor | b Henry | 5 | 23 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 31.25 |
| Mathews | c Latham | b Henry | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Siriwardana | c McCullum | b Bracewell | 66 | 138 | 82 | 7 | 0 | 80.48 |
| Kapugedera | c Santner | b Bracewell | 8 | 39 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Kulasekara | c Ronchi | b McClenaghan | 58 | 93 | 73 | 2 | 5 | 79.45 |
| Mendis | c Ronchi | b McClenaghan | 4 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Chameera | not out | 13 | 34 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 44.82 | |
| Lakmal | c Latham | b Bracewell | 8 | 24 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 88.88 |
| Extras | (w 8) | 8 | ||||||
| Total | (47 overs) | 188 all out | ||||||
| Bowling | Over | Maidens | Runs | Wicket | Econ |
| Milne | 10 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Henry | 10 | 1 | 49 | 4 | 4.90 |
| McClenaghan | 10 | 2 | 40 | 2 | 4.00 |
| Bracewell | 9 | 1 | 37 | 3 | 4.11 |
| Santner | 8 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 4.00 |
| Batsman | How Out | Bowler | Runs | Mins | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Guptill | c Kulasekara | b Siriwardana | 79 | 77 | 56 | 9 | 4 | 141.07 |
| McCullum | c Lakmal | b Siriwardana | 55 | 48 | 25 | 11 | 1 | 220.00 |
| Latham | b Dilshan | 18 | 23 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 120.00 | |
| Taylor | not out | 5 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 55.55 | |
| Nicholls | not out | 23 | 14 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 109.52 | |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 10) | 11 | ||||||
| Total | (21 overs) | 191 Won the Match | ||||||
Did not bat: MJ Santner, L Ronchi, DAJ Bracewell, AF Milne, MJ Henry, MJ McClenaghan
| Bowling | Over | Maidens | Runs | Wicket | Econ |
| Kulasekara | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Lakmal | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Mathews | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17.00 |
| Mendis | 5 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 9.80 |
| Siriwardana | 5 | 0 | 45 | 2 | 9.00 |
| Chameera | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Dilshan | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 5.00 |
