Kiwis make mammoth 331 for 6:

Lasith Malinga goes for 84 in 10:

Lankans a poor 232, lose by 98 runs

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting

The Sri Lankans after allowing New Zealand a mammoth 331 had a slippery mountain to climb to make 332 for victory. It was not going to be easy but if they batted the way they can, then the impossible was possible.

But the opening game ended in disaster for the Sri Lankans as they lost by 98 runs to New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, today. New Zealand 331 for 6: Sri Lanka 233 in 46.1 overs.

When Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillekeratne Dilshan gave the Lankans a promising start putting on 67 for the first wicket and then another 57 between Thirimanne and Sangakkara for the second wicket, it looked as though the Lankans were on course for a memorable triumph.

After Daniel Vettori bowled a slow ball for Dilshan to lob it back for 24 at 67, Trent Boult produced a bolt of a ball to York Thirimanne for 65 in 60 with 8 fours at 124.

Jayawardene caught behind

Sri Lanka lost Mahela Jayawardene caught behind by wicket keeper Luke Ronchi for a blob at 125 and then had the mortification of seeing the consistent Sangakkara LBW to Bout for 39 with 5 fours in 38 at 129 and the Lankans were heading to the deep end.

And they finally drowned in the deep end as there was no one to resuscitate the innings and being all out for 233 after being 124 for one just surrendered to hand over the game on a platter to the home team by 99 runs.

It was gutless batting display by the latter batsmen who went back as quickly as they came which was a sad indictment on their approach and their batting.

Captain Courageous Mathews as he always does,stood on the burning deck and though left with no able partners made a stubborn, yet gallant 46 and was again unfortunate not to make a half century.

Overcast morning

From early morning the cricket fans were gathering and although it was an overcast morning and which a saw a slight drizzle, all was well when the two Captains Angelo Mathews and Brendon McCullum walked out to spin the coin.

Mathews won the all important toss and invited New Zealand in to bat. Sri Lanka left out Thisara Perera and Sachitra Senanayake and gave Dimuth Karunaratne and Suranga Lakmal a game.

When Mathews won the toss he expected the ball to wobble about in the overcast conditions. But there was no movement in the air or off the wicket. The wicket too played easy.

The Lankans would have been hoping to scalp McCullum early so as to restrict the Kiwi total to a gettable score. But the Kiwi Captain MCcullum got his team off to a flyer with Martin Guptil playing another belligerent innings.

Sailed into the bowling

He just sailed into the bowling of Nuwan Kulesekera and Lasith Malinga hitting them around with ease and raced to his half century in 36 balls with 9 fours and a six. He showed fine timing as he sent the ball skidding to the boundary with lovely cover drive and cuts. The openers put on 111 in 95 balls offering no chances. It was a good rate of scoring. While McCullum was making merry, Guptil played a restrained innings, but scored when the opportunity presented itself.

It was left spinner Rangana Herath who separated the openers when he tossed one up and lured McCullum. The batsman aimed to go over the long off boundary, but Jeevan Mendis pulled off a good catch on the edge of the ropes.

McCullum's dismissal at 111 for 65 in 49 balls with 10 fours and a six put the Kiwis on reverse gear as the scoreboard which was rattling along slowed to a crawl.

Suranga Lakmal unfortunate

Pace bowler Suranga Lakmal would have made a dream World Cup debut with his first ball had Sangakkara gobbled a catch off Kane Williamson before the batsman could open scoring.

But Lakmal did not have to wait long for his first wicket. With the score on 136 he got Guptil to edge to Sangakkara who took the catch this time round. Guptil made 49 in 62 with 5 fours.

Williamson's drop proved costly as the batsman made the maximum scoring 57 in 65 balls with 5 fours and a six which inspired Corey Anderson 75 in 46 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes and Luke Ronchi 29 not out in 19 balls with 4 fours to launch an assault on an attack that was below class and take them to a grand total of 331.

Anderson once he got on top of the bowling knocked it around and showed that he is in grand form. No bowler could curb him as he went his merry way.

It was an assault that took the fight off the Lankan bowlers.

Malinga goes for 84 runs

Much was expected from Lasith Malinga playing his first big game. But he seemed to lack match fitness an in bowling was nowhere near his old self. He lacked direction, could not get his wicket taking yorkers going as his figures of 84 for 0 in 10 show.

It was inexplicable the under bowling of leg spinner Jeevan Mendis. He had 2 wickets for 5 in 2 overs and that was it. It again proved that most captains lack confidence in leg spin bowlers.

Batsman Dimuth Karunaratne took the catch of the innings when he ran and dived low to get rid of the threatening Anderson. But Mendis dropped the sitter of the innings at cover.

HAGLEY OVAL, CHRISTCHURCH,

SATURDAY

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand
Martin Guptill c Sangakkara b Lakmal 		49
Brendon McCullum c Mendis b Herath 		65
Kane Williamson c Karunaratne b Mendis 		57
Ross Taylor st Sangakkara b Mendis 		14
Grant Elliot c Thirimanne b Lakmal 		29
Corey Anderson c Lakmal b Kulasekara 		75
Luck Ronchi not out 				29
Extras (lb 2, w 8, nb 3) 			13
TOTAL (6 wickets; 50 overs) 		       331

Fall of wickets: 1-111 (McCullum, 15.5 ov), 2-136
		 (Guptill, 22.2 ov), 3-193 (Williamson, 33.3 ov)
		 4-193 (Taylor, 33.4 ov), 5-258 (Elliot, 43.5 ov)
		 6-331 (Anderson, 50 ov)
Bowling: Kulasekara 8-0-78-1
	 Malinga 10-0-84-0
	 Mathews 6-0-28-0
	 Herath 9-0-37-1
	 Dilshan 5-0-35-0
	 Lakmal 10-0-62-2
	 Mendis 2-0-5-2

Sri Lanka
Lahiru Thirimanne b Boult 			65
Tillekeratne Dilshan c & b Vettori 		24
Kumar Sangakkara lbw b Boult 			39
Mahela Jayawardene c Ronchi b Vettori 		00
Dimuth Karunaratne b Milne 			14
Angelo Mathews c Vettori b Southee 		46
Jeevan Mendis c Ronchi b Milne 			04
Nuwan Kulasekara c Elliot b Anderson 		10
Rangana Herath c Milne b Anderson 		13
Lasith Malinga c Ronchi b Southee 		00
Suranga Lakmal not out 				07
Extras (w 10, nb 1) 				11
TOTAL (10 wickets; 46.1 overs) 		       233

Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Dilshan, 13 ov), 2-124 (Thirimanne, 22 ov)
		 3-125 (Jayawardene, 23 ov), 4-129 (Sangakkara, 23.5 ov)
		 5-163 (Karunaratne, 31.3 ov), 6-168 (Mendis, 32 ov)
		 7-196 (Kulasekara, 38.2 ov), 8-216 (Mathews, 41.2 ov)
		 9-217 (Malinga, 41.5 ov), 10 -233 (Herath, 46.1 ov)
Bowling: Southee 10-1-43-2
	 Boult 10-0-64-2
	 Milne 10-0-56-2
	 Vettori 10-0-34-2
	 Elliot 2-0-11-0
	 Williamson 1-0-7-0
	 Anderson 3.1-0-18-2