Kiwis register resounding win over SL

New Zealand thrash Islanders by 98 runs in opener.

CHRISTCHURCH:

New Zealand cemented their status as genuine contenders for the World Cup with a dominating 98-run win over Sri Lanka in Saturday’s opening match in Christchurch.

Co-hosts New Zealand piled up 331-6 after losing the toss at a chilly Hagley Oval, with skipper Brendon McCullum (65) and Kane Williamson (57) laying the foundations for a big score before all-rounder and man of the match Corey Anderson smashed 75 off just 46 balls at the finish.

However, 24-year-old McCullum passed the credit to the two veterans in the side. McCullum, he said, erased any nerves in the side when he blasted a rapid 65 in a quickfire 111-run opening partnership with Martin Guptill to set up New Zealand’s impressive 331-6 in their 50 overs.

“We had a few nerves before the game, it being the first World Cup game, but they settled pretty quickly when Brendon and Guptill went about their work,” said Anderson.

“We all know McCullum as being someone that in a big event he really turns it on.”

Daniel Vettori then snared the key wickets of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jaywardene as New Zealand rolled Sri Lanka for 233.

Meanwhile, the most astonishing feature of Sri Lanka’s innings, however, was that the team’s spearhead, Lasith Malinga, went wicketless in an expensive 10-over spell costing 84 runs.

Sri Lanka were well-placed at 124-1 but their innings fell away, with all-rounder Anderson taking 2-18.

Thirimanne blames sloppy fielding for loss

Senior Sri Lanka batsman Lahiru Thirimanne blamed sloppy fielding for their 98-run hiding. “We leaked 20-30 runs through poor fielding,” said Thirimanne. “It was a good wicket and 280-290 would have been chaseable on this ground. But our fielding cost us.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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