New Zealand wins Twenty20 series 2-0 against Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Seamer Shane Bond picked up three wickets Friday to propel New Zealand to a 22-run win against Sri Lanka in its second and final Twenty20 match to give the tourists a 2-0 series victory.

The Black Caps made an imposing 170-4 batting first and then bowled tightly to restrict the hosts to just 148-8 off their 20 overs.

Jesse Ryder top-scored for New Zealand with 52 runs and shared an 84-run opening partnership with Brendon McCullum, who struck an aggressive 49.

Needing more than eight runs per over, Sri Lanka was soon in trouble losing three wickets for 11 runs.

Bond produced the first breakthrough with his fifth ball, having Tillakaratne Dilshan caught by Martin Guptill for just one run.

Mahela Udawatte was then out for a first-ball duck, caught by Neil Broom off seamer Kyle Mills and shortly afterward Sanath Jayasuriya miscued a pull shot to be caught by Ross Taylor off Mills for seven.

Mahela Jayawardene combined with his captain Kumar Sangakkara for 67 runs off 43 balls to give Sri Lanka some hope, but offspinner Nathan McCullum then picked up two wickets in his first over - the 11th of the innings - to put the tourists in control.

Jayawardene made 41 runs off 30 balls before being caught at third-man by Jesse Ryder. Three balls later, Anjelo Mathews was caught at mid-on by Taylor to reduce the hosts to 80-5.

Sangakkara and Gihan Rupasinghe resisted with a 49-run partnership in 39 balls but could not keep pace with the soaring required run rate.

Earlier, New Zealand's openers justified skipper Vettori's decision to bat first, scoring 46 runs in the first five overs.

Brendon McCullum was particularly severe on the Sri Lankan bowlers, scoring 19 off the fourth over bowled by paceman Lasith Malinga.

McCullum was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya, one run short of his sixth Twenty20 half-century.

Ryder was the next to fall, out for 52 when he was caught by Rupasinghe at extra-cover off spin bowler Ajantha Mendis. He faced 37 balls and struck three boundaries and three sixes.

Martin Guptill made 32 off of 20 balls before being bowled by Malinga with the last ball of the innings. Jacob Oram was 17 not out.

Jayasuriya was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers taking 2-22 off his four overs.

Source

Relieved Vettori praises team work

After a four games on tour without a win, it was a relief for Daniel Vettori to see some smiles on his players' faces. Having won his first toss of what until this evening had been a disappointing tour, Vettori played a stellar role with the ball to help New Zealand sneak a humdinger at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Vettori was typically deadpan at the post-match presentation, but there was an undeniable air of achievement when he looked back at a come-from-behind win. New Zealand's total of 141 looked in severe danger of being overhauled with overs to spare when Tillakaratne Dilshan smacked four fours of the first over, bowled by comeback man Shane Bond, but a series of spectacular fielding efforts, Vettori's guile and Jacob Oram's hat-trick pulled the carpet from under Sri Lanka's feet.

"We had targeted getting into the middle order and managed to get a couple of the good players cheaply. It always gave us a chance but we knew Dilshan's was the big wicket," said Vettori. "Dilshan is playing exceptionally well and when he's in full flight like that it is hard to know where to stop him but fortunately once we did we put in a very complete performance. The way we fought back, I think that's what everyone has wanted to see, and we really showed it."

With a slight smile threatening to creep up on his face, Vettori was happy to concentrate on the events of this evening, including two excellent moments from Jesse Ryder in the field. First he cut off and released the ball at backward point to execute a direct hit that saw off Mahela Jayawardene, and then he plucked a good low catch at backward point to cut Dilshan off on 57. "He's a supreme athlete, but sometimes his physique doesn't give that away," said Vettori of Ryder. "He's one of the more talented guys in the way he moves and he can do pretty much everything in the field. That run-out gave the team a massive lift and he added a great catch. We need guys stepping up like that. I thought Brendon McCullum was outstanding in the field, Ross Taylor gave everything, all the guys put it on the line. There wasn't a lot I could have asked more for."

Dilshan looked like a man with a train to catch, clattering four successive boundaries in Bond's opening over for New Zealand in almost two years. Despite the onslaught, New Zealand dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya and Jayawardene cheaply and that had given Vettori hope. "You just try and stick to your plans. In Twenty20 the run-rate is still high and even though it's accepted that it's not that hard, you get new batsmen in and look to put pressure on them to make it difficult for the tail."

Bond pulled the game back for New Zealand, allowing just 11 off his last three overs, while Oram, after a poor first over, hit back well at the death, taking a wicket with the last ball of 17th over and two in two when he was left to defend nine off the last over. "He [Bond] was fine. I think he just wanted to get on with things," said Vettori. "Every bowler got better and better as their spells continued. I was satisfied with all the bowling. Everybody stepped up to the mark. Jacob had a tough start but the way he bowled that last over was fantastic. Kyle Mills was unlucky. Ian Butler takes wickets when we need them."

But the pick of the lot was Vettori himself. He came on in the seventh over and that went for three runs and yielded Kumar Sangakkara's wicket. It was a clever delivery, with plenty of dip that sucked Sangakkara into a chip to cover. With Ian Butler taking two in two overs, Vettori dried up the runs with lovely variations in pace. Only eight runs came in his next three overs, which also included the wicket of the debutant Gihan Rupasinghe. Those four overs were mesmeric to watch and left Sri Lanka floundering.

The final result left Sangakkara bitter and asking his players to rethink their roles in the team. After getting off to a roaring start, Sri Lanka lost regular wickets and failed to close out the deal - it once again highlighted the frailty oft their middle order. "It's a big deal when we restrict a side to 141 and get one of the best starts we could ask for, only to not capitalise," he said. "All the players have to take a good, hard look at themselves and ask themselves how they're going to take responsibility. It's hard to imagine that we lost this one."
Source

Fighting NZ overcome Dilshan blitz

New Zealand 141 for 8 (Taylor 60, Malinga 2-21) beat Sri Lanka 137 for 9 (Dilshan 57, Oram 3-32) by three runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

How they were out

New Zealand put a small part of their tour blues behind them by clinching a thrilling three-run win over Sri Lanka in the first of two Twenty20s at the R Premadasa Stadium. The coloured clothing was out and with it a fresh look to New Zealand's Twenty20 unit, but it was Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram, with a hat-trick, who ultimately gave the tourists something to smile about.

With the openers dismissed early, the pressure was on Taylor, who carried the team almost single-handedly with a busy innings until the 18th over after which, Lasith Malinga returned to stifle the tail. A total of 141 appeared under-par when Tillakaratne Dilshan blazed to 57 off 28 balls, but Vettori reminded everyone of his worth in Twenty20s with a niggardly spell and, aided by some dedicated fielding, New Zealand hauled themselves back in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Dilshan's assault on Shane Bond in the first over had the crowd in raptures, and New Zealand almost cowering. What was touted to be a seminal moment in New Zealand's bid for a comeback was smashed in four deliveries as Dilshan welcomed Bond back to international cricket with disdain. After bouncing Dilshan first ball, Bond was slapped for four consecutive fours.

It didn't look good for New Zealand when Dilshan unfurled his patent scoop to Kyle Mills' second delivery and got four, but there was a moment of relief when Sanath Jayasuriya top-edged to Bond at fine leg three balls later. Bond's second over only cost four, but Dilshan resumed against Mills in the fourth over, pulling and lofting sixes.

Then New Zealand launched a stirring comeback. Jesse Ryder's direct hit got rid of Mahela Jayawardene, after which Vettori got Kumar Sangakkara in his first over. Ian Butler struck in successive overs as Ryder cupped an excellent catch at backward point to cut off Dilshan and Chamara Kapugedera missed an ugly slog. At this stage Sri Lanka were 85 for 5 with 57 needed from 60 balls.

Angelo Mathews took fours off Jacob Oram, but the pressure built up by Vettori was excruciating. Having given three runs in his first over, Vettori wheeled away off an nagging line and conceded five in his second and, crucially, just a single in his third. The debutant Gihan Rupasinghe found Vettori tough to score off and, backed by some alert close-in fielding, was frustrated into sweeping and missing. With his final delivery, Vettori trapped Rupasinghe lbw for 15 off 21 balls to finish with figures of 4-0-11-2.

With 20 needed off 19, Mathews popped a return catch to Oram. Suddenly New Zealand, who till now had been athletic in the field, started diving over the ball and failing to back-up errant throws. Scampered single and doubles kept Sri Lanka ticking. With 13 to defend off 12, Vettori called back Bond. It was a wicketless return for Bond, but four singles in the final over sure beat four fours. Two wickets in the first two balls of the final over - that gave Oram his hat-trick - left Sri Lanka's last pair too much to do.

New Zealand's bid to gain momentum after last week's Test series defeat looked like it had hit a potential roadblock as they were kept to 141. Brendon McCullum appeared in the mood to get back into form, slashing a wide delivery from Malinga over point, but the combination of Ryder's straight drive and Nuwan Kulasekara's fingertips cut short his nine-ball innings. Ryder couldn't lift the tempo in a lovely second over from Malinga, full of crafty changes of pace, and with Kulasekara cutting down the boundary options, he gave himself room and lofted a catch into the hands of Malinga Bandara running back from mid-off.

Taylor and Martin Guptill were left to consolidate matters, and when Sangakkara called on Mathews, Taylor weighed in with consecutive boundaries, slashing past point and driving wide of cover. Another fortuitous deflection followed off Ajantha Mendis, when Guptill drove and edged past slip. New Zealand took 38 off the Powerplay overs.

Taylor's entertaining 60, including five fours and a six, went well with the festive atmosphere at the ground but he lacked support. Guptill, who was dropped by Mathews in the deep off Jayasuriya, launched Bandara for a straight six but miscued the next delivery to deep midwicket for 29. Jayasuriya's left-arm spin was to Taylor's liking and he slog-swept for four and six in successive deliveries in the 15th over.

Oram looked as if he was at the wrong party before he fell for 8 off 13 deliveries, holing out to Kulasekara at mid-off in Mendis' final over. Trying to get some momentum going, Taylor fell in Mathews' next over, giving Kulasekara another catch in the deep. Mathews returned a flat throw to help run out Peter McGlashan and Malinga returned to york Kyle Mills and Vettori with consecutive deliveries in the 20th over.

But Malinga and Dilshan's efforts were not enough to deny a New Zealand side piloted to victory by three of their established stars.

Source

Murali goes beyond the 15-degree, says Richardson

Mark Richardson, the former New Zealand Test opener, has reopened the question over Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action by saying that he was convinced many of his deliveries were well beyond the 15-degree allowance approved by lawmakers.

Richardson said he did not blame Murali for the situation but felt the ICC was not doing enough to police throwing in cricket. New Zealand are touring Sri Lanka for two Tests, two Twenty20s and an ODI tri-series. They lost the first Test by 202 runs, with Murali taking 7 for 161.

"Many of his deliveries may fall around the 15 degrees but, in my opinion, too many," Richardson, now a television commentator, wrote in his column in the Herald on Sunday. "In particular his faster deliveries appear well beyond it and since the introduction of the 15 degree allowance his action appears to have deteriorated.

"I know he's been tested, re-tested, tested again and cleared. And I know, with the special makeup of his limbs to the naked eye, his action looks worse than it is. But, for goodness sake, half of cricket is now not watched with the naked eye, thanks to the invention of super-slow-motion cameras, hot-spots, snicko and Hawkeyes. Many of the slow-motion replays I've seen of Murali have only strengthened my conviction he is exceeding the 15 degrees bending and straightening allowance. Is it not meant to be the other way round? Isn't the hi-tech equipment meant to alleviate my fears?"

Richardson doubted whether the numerous tests conducted by the ICC proved that Murali stayed within the 15-degree limit. "What he proved is that he can bowl within limitation, not that in the heat of battle he actually does. Cricket is not played in a laboratory. On the field it matters where and how the ball gets to the other end. In a laboratory it doesn't, all that matters is how you delivered it."

Murali was first no-balled for his action during his first tour of Australia in 1995-96 and though he was cleared after a biomechanical analysis, the controversy didn't die out. He was called again on the 1998-99 tour to Australia and sent for further tests in Perth and England only to be cleared again.

In 2004 the ICC stopped Murali from bowling the doosra, because his arm bent by an average of 10 degrees when bowling the delivery, which was double the permitted level for spinners. But next year, the ICC tweaked the bowling laws to allow all bowlers "to straighten their bowling arm up to 15 degrees, which was established as the point at which any straightening will become visible to the naked eye".

Richardson said the ICC had to amend procedures and use the technology introduced into the game to check bowlers with suspect actions.

"We can use technology to access where the ball pitched, where it may be heading, how much it bounced, turned, seamed and yet we can't use it to access the most important thing - how it got there in the first place. Surely the technology exists for the match referee or third umpire to assess, during the game, bowling actions and take appropriate action when someone is operating outside the laws of the game."

Last November former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist also said he believed Murali had a suspect action.
Source

Sri Lanka thrash New Zealand by 202 runs

Galle: Sri Lanka were on the verge of a huge victory against New Zealand in their first Test after illness-plagued New Zealand collapsed on Saturday.

The Kiwis, set an improbable target of 413 runs, were reduced to 125-5 by lunch on the fifth and final day at the Galle International Stadium.

Skipper Daniel Vettori kept the Black Caps afloat with an unbeaten 42, while Jesse Ryder was on 22 at the break.Left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara picked up two wickets, with Sri Lanka having two more sessions to complete the formalities under bright sunshine to take the lead in the two-Test series.

The tourists, who have 13 of their 15 players affected by a stomach bug and viral fever, did not find an ally even in the weather as clear skies broke over the coastal town for the first time since the Test began.

New Zealand added seven runs to their overnight score of 30-1 when Thushara bowled Martin Guptill with a superb ball that moved after pitching and clipped the off-stump. The batsman made 18.

Tim McIntosh, top-scorer in the first innings with 69 who could not open on Friday evening due to viral fever, batted for 14 minutes without scoring when he edged a Thushara outswinger.

Thilan Samaraweera picked up a low catch at third slip which was referred to the third umpire before the umpires gave the batsman out.

Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara surprisingly handed the ball to part-time spinner Mahela Jayawardene and the former captain struck with his second delivery to claim only his sixth wicket in 106 Tests.

Ross Taylor, who looked solid making 16, played at a ball down the leg-side and nudged a catch to wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene to reduce New Zealand to 45-4 within the first hour.

Jacob Oram and Vettori put on 41 for the fifth wicket, but spinner Ajantha Mendis ended the defiant stand by having Oram leg-before for 21.

The second and final Test will be played at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo from Wednesday.

New Zealand will also play two Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka and a limited-overs tri-series with India as the third team.

Source