Cricket: New Zealand thump Sri Lanka

New Zealand players celebrate the wicket of Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka during the first One Day...
New Zealand players celebrate the wicket of Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka during the first One Day International match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Photo by Reuters.

New Zealand thumped Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the opening ODI of a five-game series at Hagley Oval today.

From the time they had the tourists 27 for five, after Sri Lanka had won the toss, it was a one-sided contest, and the victory took to 11 the number of successive home ODI wins for New Zealand.

Having bowled Sri Lanka out for 188 in 47 overs, openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill slaughtered Sri Lanka's lame attack as New Zealand powered to 191 for three in just 21 overs.

McCullum crashed his way to his half century in just 23 balls - incredibly only his 8th fastest ODI 50, with 11 fours and a solitary six - while Guptill hit 79 off 56 balls with nine fours and three sixes.

The pair put on 108 in 10.1 overs before McCullum - effectively starting a final lap around the country after announcing his international retirement during the week - skied a catch to point, and Guptill was caught at long off.

Debutant Henry Nicholls hit the winning runs in finishing unbeaten on 23.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were staring at one of their worst ODI scores before a full house of 8,500 on a sunny day.

Seamer Matt Henry took four wickets in 18 balls in a fine man of the match-winning display to slice through the Sri Lankan batting.

That they managed to get to 188 can be put down to lefthander Milinda Siriwardana and veteran swing bowler Nuwan Kulasekera.

The pair put on a seventh wicket stand of 98, a record against New Zealand, Siriwardana completing his highest ODI score, 66, while Kulasekera turned in an impressive display of clean hitting in striking five sixes in his 58.

Siriwardana had a life on 10, when Nicholls spilled a regulation running catch at deep square leg. He struck the ball cleanly through the offside.

Kulasekera's half century was his fourth in ODIs, and he helped give Sri Lanka something to work with, even if it proved nowhere near enough.

Twice he swept spinner Mitchell Santner over the boundary, pulled speedster Adam Milne over the mid wicket fence, lofted Henry over long on and his pull high over mid wicket off the same bowler was a contender for shot of the innings.

Kulasekera eventually fell to a spectacular one-handed catch by wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi high to his right.

Henry finished with four for 49 while there were three wickets for Doug Bracewell, two for left armer Mitch McClenaghan and one for Adam Milne.

The second game in the series is also at Hagley Oval on Monday.

- by David Leggat 

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