da lvbet： Sri Lanka were made to fight for victory by a spirited New Zealandside in the opening match of the Coca Cola one-day internationalseries which they won by 16 runs under lights at the R
Sa'adi Thawfeeq18-Jul-2001Sri Lanka were made to fight for victory by a spirited New Zealandside in the opening match of the Coca Cola one-day internationalseries which they won by 16 runs under lights at the R. PremadasaStadium on Wednesday. Sri Lanka made 220 in 48.5 overs and New Zealandreplied with 204 for 9 in 49 overs.It was not a victory that Sri Lanka could be happy with because theynever played to their potential, especially the batsmen who failed tolast the fifty overs.Only skipper Sanath Jayasuriya’s knock of 80 off 108 balls stood likea beacon. He won the man-of-the-match award for his effort.New Zealand were pushed onto the backfoot by the Sri Lankan new ballbowlers Chaminda Vaas and Suresh Perera who sent back both openerswith only three runs on the board.The Kiwis slid further to 100 for five in the 23rd over, before asixth wicket stand of 57 off 113 balls between Adam Parore and ChrisHarris revived their fortunes to some extent.But the dismissal of Harris for 48 (scored off 93 balls, six fours) byJayasuriya in the 41st over, saw New Zealand lose their grip oncemore. They lost four wickets for 31 runs and despite a valiant halfcentury from Parore off 84 balls with one six and one four they fellshort by 16 runs in the end.New Zealand were strangled by the three spinners Muralitharan,Dharmasena and Jayasuriya who took four wickets for 97 runs off 30overs.Sri Lanka made a disappointing 220 all out in 48.5 overs afterchoosing to bat first with skipper Jayasuriya’s sedate knock of 80being the highest score of the match as none of the others stayed longenough to forge a big partnership with him.The highest of the innings was 56 off 88 balls for the second withbetween Jayasuriya and his deputy Marvan Atapattu who made 22.Atapattu was another of the top order batsmen who got a start, butfailed to produce any innings of substance.Sri Lanka got off to an excellent start when Avishka Gunawardana (13)and Jayasuriya put on 39 off 46 balls, but after that it was NewZealand who kept the Sri Lankan scoring rate in check with some slickfielding and tight bowling.Jayasuriya, surviving an early scare for a leg before decision offDarryl Tuffey before he had scored, was forced to bear the burden ofhis side as wickets started to tumble at regularly. He completed his43rd one-day fifty off 82 balls with the aid of six fours. MahelaJayawardene (14), Russel Arnold (9) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (14), allfigured in stands of twenties with Jayasuriya which was not what SriLanka would have been looking for when they chose to bat first.Kaluwitharana was unfortunate to be run out, when bowler Jacob Oramcame in the way as he desperately tried to make his ground to beat athrow from Lou Vincent from cover. His dismissal followed by that ofKumar Dharmasena (also by a run out) without any runs added to thetotal, saw Sri Lanka in danger of not using up their entire quota of50 overs.Jayasuriya was finally dismissed in the 38th over at 170, when he wascaught in the deep mid wicket boundary by Oram off Daniel Vettori.The Sri Lanka captain faced 108 balls and hit eight fours.In a late spurt Suresh Perera hit a quick 19 off 20 balls, to carrythe total past the 200-run mark, but although 220 looked a good enoughtotal for Sri Lanka to defend, it was one that they would be happywith especially with seven balls going unused.With the exception of Tuffey whose eight overs cost 40 runs andincluded six wides and five no-balls, the New Zealand bowling wastidy.As Sri Lanka’s innings ended in the 49th over and was completed afterthe scheduled time for the innings, New Zealand were compelled to faceonly the same number of overs in keeping with the one-dayinternational playing conditions.New Zealand play India in the next game on Friday at the same venue.