New Zealand win T20 series against Sri Lanka by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

---

Ground:	R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Scorecard:	Sri Lanka v New Zealand
Player:	BB McCullum, JD Ryder, KC Sangakkara, DPMD Jayawardene
Event:	New Zealand in Sri Lanka 2009

---

DateLine: 4th September 2009

 

New Zealand completed T20 clean sweep as they defeated Sri Lanka by 22 runs. Once New Zealand exchanged their Test match uniform with the T20 ones they looked a completely different side. Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder gave a cracking start, and the batting built on that to set a tall target. Their new-ball bowlers gave the early breakthroughs, and Nathan McCullum's double-strike ended Sri Lanka's chances.

 

Vettori won the toss again and had no hesitation in electing to bat first. Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder got New Zealand off to a flier as they added 84 in 10.2 overs as helped their team reach a challenging total of 170 for the loss off four wickets. McCullum and Ryder flattened the Lankan attack for the first 10 overs, racing to 83 runs. The pair took 19 runs in Malinga's second over as they pressed the accelerator early. It needed Jayasuriya’s flattish left-arm spinners to break the stand in the 11th over when McCullum offered a simple return catch. Ryder took over after McCullum's departure, striking two sixes and a boundary in the 12th to keep the momentum going.

 

Sri Lanka hit back with two quick wickets as Ryder was caught in the covers off Ajantha Mendis and Ross Taylor (16) was trapped leg-before by Jayasuriya. Martin Guptill and Jacob Oram further boosted the total with a 43-run stand for the fourth wicket in 27 balls, before Guptill was bowled by Lasith Malinga off the final ball of the innings.

 

Sri Lanka in reply placed their hopes on the deadly Dilshan and veteran Jayasuriya to replicate the assault of the magnitude of Ryder-McCullum combination. Bond who came under serious attack in the first T20 by Dilshan had his revenge when he had Dilshan hole out to deep midwicket where Guptill took an easy catch. Mills struck in the next over when he had Udawatte spoon a simple catch to Broom and the Lankan scorecard read 2 for 2. Jayasuriya tried to break the shackles as he found the boundary rope but a short one from Mills had him top-edging to midwicket as Sri Lanka sank further. Sangakkara joined force with Jayawardene and the two began their repair work earnestly. The pair added 68 in very quick time with Jayawardene taking up the aggressor’s role.

 

But his innings was terminated when he top edged Nathan McCullum to Ryder at short fine leg. Mathews followed quickly with Sangakkara waging a lone battle in the middle. Though Sangakkara reached his half century at the end too much was left for him to be completed and he fell trying to achieve the target.