SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Newzealand posted a high total of 331 runs with the help of Anderson 75, McCullum 65, Williamson 57 while Mendia took 2 Wickets while Thirimanne by Sri Lanka remained the top scorer with 65 Runs. Sri lanka succumbed to 233 runs in chase of 331.
McCullum´s biggest contribution to the game, however, probably came when the visitors had established a handy platform to attack at the conclusion of 21 overs with the score on 119 for one and Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara well set.
Left arm pace bowler Trent Boult had been taken for 15 runs from his two previous overs but McCullum persisted with the 25-year-old, who managed to produce one of the few deliveries to swing all day when he bowled Thirimanne for 65.
McCullum then brought back Daniel Vettori, who had earlier deceived Tillakaratne Dilshan (24) to take a simple caught and bowled opportunity, to attack new batsman Mahela Jayawardene, who was caught behind by Luke Ronchi for a four-ball duck.
Boult then trapped Sangakkara in front with another late swinging delivery five balls later to reduce Sri Lanka to 129 for four, effectively ending their chances given the top four had scored most of their runs during the one-day series against New Zealand in January.
Adam Milne then took two wickets in the 32nd over, and while Mathews produced a cameo of 46, Tim Southee mopped up the tail with two wickets as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 233 in 46.1 overs.
McCullum and Guptill had given New Zealand a flying start before the introduction of left-arm spinner Rangana Herath dried up the scoring rate.
Sri Lanka then wasted a series of missed opportunities, with Williamson dropped twice and while Jeevan Mendis took two wickets in two balls to give them a chance of running through the lower order, Grant Elliott and Anderson consolidated the innings with 65 from 10 overs.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
