South Africa cruise to five-wicket victory

South Africa 217 for 5 (de Villiers 70*) beat New Zealand 214 (Taylor 72, Parnell 5-57) by five wickets.

South Africa, led by Roelof van der Merwe and Wayne Parnell with the ball and AB de Villiers with the bat, recovered from their opening-game loss to beat New Zealand in Centurion. New Zealand struggled to put up runs after being put in under slightly overcast conditions, with van der Merwe starring with ten cunning overs while Parnell claimed five wickets. Ross Taylor played a responsible innings that gave New Zealand stability after they were reduced to 92 for 3, but losing their last seven wickets for 51 was a crime. With this win, impossible without de Villiers' cool half-century, Group B is now wide open with England yet to play a match. The pitch was the same one used a couple of days ago when South Africa were mauled by Sri Lanka, but the result was very different. Early on it offered more pace and bounce than the track on which Tillakaratne Dilshan blazed away, but as the afternoon wore on stroke play became increasingly tougher, especially against the older ball. By the time New Zealand were midway into their innings, after Parnell took two early wickets, the spinners found appreciable bounce and the abrasive nature of the pitch made the ball grip the surface. van der Merwe and Johan Botha bowled with control and the effort was complemented by the attacking fields Graeme Smith set, which played a major role in suffocating the batsmen. Runs came at a trickle with New Zealand managing just 72 between the 15th and 35th overs. During that span, the spinners conceded just three boundaries. Taylor had a few close shaves against van der Merwe but overcame his nerves to play a substantial role. He was pleasing when cracking the ball in the arc between point and gully but more than those odd field perforations his contribution was valuable for the manner in which he shored up the pressure of seeing New Zealand through difficulty. Grant Elliott had his moments of indecision when balls from van der Merwe just about missed the edge of the bat, yet managed to pierce the wall of fielders with some excellent shots through cover. His dismissal for 39, bowled by a peach from van der Merwe, snapped a 71-run stand and allowed South Africa back spectacularly. The last five fell for 11 runs in 18 balls, with Parnell nipping out three in the batting Powerplay, and that decided the match. Taylor had carried the innings but the lack of sizeable partnerships hurt them: there were four stands of 30 or more, but none topped 71 as South Africa plugged away. The bowlers did a fine job, and the sharp turn the spinners achieved suggested that batting in the evening would be even more difficult. This is where de Villiers made the difference. Smith failed to get going, chipping Daryl Tuffey to mid-on, after which Jacques Kallis briefly put New Zealand on the back foot. Kallis biffed a 39-ball 36, batting as if the world was his stage, but his dismissal left de Villiers to shepherd the chase. Warning of de Villiers' intentions came early with two sumptuous drives down the ground off Daryl Tuffey. He didn't lag thereafter, embellishing his presence with lovely clips off the pads and excellent judgment of singles and doubles. Daniel Vettori got sharp bite and used his arm ball well, and it was with one that gently turned that he sent Hashim Amla on his way for 38 from 65 deliveries. Kyle Mills returned and was the beneficiary of a wicket as an attempted cut from JP Duminy went off the bottom edge and Brendon McCullum took a sharp catch. de Villiers refused to panic. He collected the singles, punished the loose balls, and didn't buckle under the pressure exerted by a tight spell from Vettori. Singles were vital to South Africa's progress yet sporadically, to give the fans something to purr about, de Villiers found the boundary. He brought up his 19th ODI fifty off 54 balls and Mark Boucher seemed set to seal the win with him until he lost his concentration in the 36th over. South Africa, though, already had the game wrapped up.

Yuvraj and Nehra Knock New Zealand Out

India 156 for 4 (Tendulkar 46, Raina 45*) beat New Zealand 155 (Nehra 3-24, Yuvraj 3-31) by six wickets.

India stumbled in pursuit of 156 under lights but MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina kept cool heads to steer them to a six-wicket win with 57 deliveries to spare and with it end New Zealand's tournament. New Zealand, after opting to bat, made a complete mess of things and ended up with 155, a total that briefly challenged India but eventually proved to be inadequate. Inspired by their two most experienced bowlers, New Zealand refused to surrender without a scrap but their spirited effort on the field wasn't enough to defend a modest target. Dinesh Karthik was removed early in the piece to bring Rahul Dravid to the crease but his comeback was a labored 45-ball 14, after which Sachin Tendulkar fell for 46. Raina joined Dhoni and finished off the chase with a calculated 72-run partnership. Dravid endured a few testing moments as he adjusted himself to this format. Shane Bond was particularly quick and nasty in a hostile first spell, which included a fiery maiden sixth over, and repetitively tested Dravid with the short deliveries. Dravid negated Bond's aggression with customary grit only to be trapped lbw by Jacob Oram. Tendulkar came out full of intent and treated the sparse crowd to some stunning shots. He repeatedly whipped Mills across the line, deft of wrists, for boundaries and welcomed Ian Butler into the attack with a fierce cut behind point and the shot of the day - a stylish whip off the back foot to a ball that pitched back of a length. Daniel Vettori was hammered off the back foot as Tendulkar closed in on fifty, but a clever change of pace had him lobbing the simplest of chances to cover. The bowler, the batsman and the catcher couldn't believe it. Sixteen minutes later Yuvraj Singh moped off after he was beaten in flight to pop a catch when attempting to play another slog-sweep for four off Vettori. Raina eased the nerves a pinch by swinging Vettori for six and following up with three past midwicket, and continued to play with a perfect blend of aggression and smartness. His back-foot play was especially pleasing - he rocked back to pull anything even slightly off line - and backed himself to swing deliveries that had a bit of air. Dhoni was his composed self and put his head down to indulge in some good old-fashioned ones and twos. He helped steer the chase with a dependable innings, one devoid of any risks. A cursory look at the New Zealand card would suggest an ordeal against pace on a juiced-up track in Australia or England, but the truth was they struggled against a tidy fast-bowling attack and failed to cope with Yuvraj. Having lost the toss, India turned in a committed display in the field to take to pieces a line-up woefully short on inspiration and effort. Once they had New Zealand at 19 for 3 they provided few escapes routes, and that was the deciding factor in the result. India, led initially by Ashish Nehra before Yuvraj continued the carnage, were on top from the time the first wicket fell. Nehra set the tone for India's domination with a lovely new-ball burst, in which he passed 100 ODI wickets. With his second ball, he beat Jesse Ryder's loose shot across the line to hit him in front of leg stump and then removed Brendon McCullum with one that straightened and rapped the pads in front of middle.

Having watched an edge from Ross Taylor sneak through between slip and keeper, RP Singh held back the length and got Taylor nicking to Dhoni for 11. New Zealand's worries against left-handers - Thilan Thushara has been a handful all tour - continued with a poor display. Such was their discomfiture against the left-arm variety that Yuvraj's gentle slow turners soon looked like missiles. Puttering along to 22 from 41 balls, helping put on 32 with Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill fell in Yuvraj's first over. Barely settling in to see what Yuvraj could offer, or if the pitch would assist turn, Guptill stabbed at one and Dravid, at first slip, reminded all of his class as a catcher with his 194th pouch. Elliott, who looked the only one capable of batting till the 45th over and beyond, was then incorrectly given out for 22 by Kumar Dharmasena down the leg side. Replays showed the ball brushed only his pads as he attempted to tickle it fine. New Zealand had reason to feel aggrieved, but their efforts at the start had been unforgivable. The rest of the New Zealand line-up made fleeting appearances and there was little let-up for them as Dhoni rotated his bowlers, with the top four providing the dividends. New Zealand will need to improve considerably if they are to live up to their No. 4 ranking and challenge teams in the Champions Trophy.

Yet Another Samaraweera Ton Helps Sri Lankan Cause

Sri Lanka 216 for 7 (Samaraweera 104, Mathews 51, Bond 3-43) beat New Zealand 119 (Elliott 41, Malinga 4-28) by 97 runs. A batting masterpiece and a fast-bowling barrage. It isn't often that a team can combine both of those forces in one night, but Sri Lanka had all of that, and more, going for them. Thilan Samaraweera compiled a superlative maiden one-day century and Lasith Malinga ripped New Zealand's middle order to shreds as the hosts launched the series with a thumping win, bonus point included. When Sri Lanka were restricted to 216, it seemed a tight contest was on the cards; instead New Zealand folded for 119, sending the smattering of spectators home early. Sri Lanka's innings had been resurrected from 69 for 5 by Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews, but New Zealand never recovered after Sri Lanka's fast bowlers sliced through the order. Within 29 balls, Jesse Ryder (0), Martin Guptill (3) and Ross Taylor (2) were left brooding in the dressing room. New Zealand's shot at victory had been squashed and any self-belief that lingered after the Tests now vanished. And Sri Lanka weren't done. Malinga is hardly the man you want to see with the ball when your top order has been blown away, and what followed was stunning. With his first three overs, comprising deliveries on all sorts of lengths, Malinga kept the batsmen tied down. The fourth was something out of a shooting gallery. Brendon McCullum had run the risk of being arrested for loitering as he squeezed 14 from 51 balls before Malinga rattled his stumps. Two deliveries later Malinga held back his length and drew an edge off Jacob Oram's bat to Kumar Sangakkara. With his next ball, Malinga hurled down a corker that went right through debutant Nathan McCullum. At 41 for 6 in the 19th over, this game was as good as done. The only batsmen to cross 14 were Grant Elliott, with a brave 41, and Ian Butler, whose efforts lessened the margin of defeat. Completing the rout with another yorker was Malinga, whose aggressive bowling had undoubtedly been fuelled by Samaraweera's inspirational batting. Samaraweera, whose highest ODI score coming into this match was 38 not out, teamed up with Mathews and averted a meek surrender with a 127-run association from 134 balls. The pair combined exceptional running between the wickets with some fireworks to help Sri Lanka reach a total that looked remote when they began. Conventional wisdom and statistics at the Premadasa suggest strongly you bat first in day-night matches, and when Sangakkara won the toss it was greeted with loud cheers as the crowd anticipated a quick start. But this was an unusual two-paced track that didn't encourage for blazing shots and Sri Lanka slipped to 22 for 3. Tuffey's reputation as a first-over specialist preceded him on his international return, and it was a special wicket to celebrate too, as Tillakarate Dilshan chopped on. Bond dismissed Mahela Jayawardene for 0, steering a rising delivery to slip, and Sanath Jayasuriya for 7, slashing to third man. Vettori eased Bond back into this format with five tight overs (2 for 9) and Tuffey's consummate spell of 1 for 19 off six overs made for a clinical start with the ball. Tuffey and Bond bowled very straight and shackled the Sri Lankan top order, and the fielders were energetic and predatory as well. There were only two boundaries by the half-way mark - both inside the first three overs - and a run rate of 2.72 indicated how much Sri Lanka had struggled. Almost immediately, Samaraweera and Mathews began to build some momentum, unfazed by the nature of the track and energetically hunting for scoring possibilities. A boundaryless streak, lasting 143 deliveries, was soon snapped. Mathews played his most fluent innings in recent memory. He timed the ball well from the start, getting off the mark with a straight drive off Daniel Vettori, and then placed the ball far more deftly than he had in the Twenty20s. Between overs 33 and 38 the pair added 35, running hard between the wickets and taking runs off Butler, prompting Vettori to call back Tuffey. Samaraweera, who had reached his half-century off 78 balls, cleanly lofted and paddled boundaries to get the small crowd cheering. In the first over of the batting Powerplay, taken after 44 overs, Samaraweera turned it on: he brought up the century stand in 114 balls with a spanking cover drive off Butler, repeated the shot a touch squarer, and paddled four more past short fine leg. Bond returned to bowl Mathews for 51, but Samaraweera achieved his watershed landmark. It was exceptional batting and got Sri Lanka to a total far beyond what New Zealand would have liked. Vettori now has a few days to raise his players' morale. It will be difficult after such a comprehensive defeat, especially against India. New Zealand's next game - and potentially last - game is on Friday. They can, at best, hope to look forward to a new pitch.

New Zealand Clinch T-20 Series 2-0

How quickly the momentum has shifted. After bossing New Zealand around in the Tests, Sri Lanka have been slightly deflated with a loss in momentum, after defeats in both Twenty20 contests over the past three days. New Zealand followed up their three-run victory on Wednesday with 22-run win last night to start the limited-overs part of their tough tour on a definite high. This was most visible right after the second match, when the entire New Zealand team and support staff stood in unison near the dais, waiting for the presentation to start. Kumar Sangakkara came out shortly but had to stop, look around, and then beckon his players to join him in a show of solidarity like the tourists. A visibly flustered Sangakkara called out to a couple players looking on from the dressing room, signaling that the rest all hurry down immediately. Slowly, the Sri Lankans descended the steps and formed a queue around their captain. Later, in a closed-room press conference, Sangakkara said his team will have to fight hard to regain lost momentum. "It was a great pitch, but we lost too many wickets and were not able to build the kind of partnerships you need. We tried everything and we still came up short. A loss is always a concern. Once you're outplayed, you have to accept it. You learn from it and move on." For his opposite number, Daniel Vettori, this was an indication of things to come. "The guys will take a lot of confidence from that. I think everyone out there put up a performance at some stage and they'll be happy with that," Vettori said. "They can take that into the one-dayers. For us to make the final will be a great stepping stone for the Champions Trophy." Both Twenty20 internationals highlighted Sri Lanka's reliance on Tillakaratne Dilshan to provide a good start. On Wednesday, Dilshan blazed away as wickets fell around him and by the time he departed for 57, the damage had been done with Sri Lanka 75 for 4. Yesterday, Dilshan's dismissal in the first over was followed by a slump to 11 for 3. "When a batsman's in form, he always seems to be the guy scoring the runs at the top. Unfortunately the other guys haven't been supporting him as they can," said Sangakkara. "They have the ability to do so but unfortunately we haven't had that. It's a learning process, form comes and goes but I think the players we do have are well capable of getting us the runs and the starts we need to win." Vettori pinpointed that dismissal as a result of planning - Martin Guptill was put out on the boundary for this shot, and Shane Bond dropped the ball short of a length - and hard work. "Shane stood up and said he wanted to do that job. We had some goods plans and they worked today. It's always great when that happens because you work pretty hard and sometimes it doesn't work out. To see it work today and the lift it gave the team was great.", The other concern for Sri Lanka is the lack of runs from Sanath Jayasuriya, whose last eight innings have produced 125 runs at 15.63. His one-day form is equally dismal, with just 132 at 18.66 in his last seven trips to the middle. "It's always a concern when a batsman's out of form," said Sangakkara, "But we all know what he can do and what he has done. We have to give him every chance to get back in there and score runs.'' Bond's return to the international circuit has been watched closely by many, including the two captains. The jury is not yet on Bond going into what will be his first real test, the one-day part of this tour. "You can't really tell much in four overs but you've in these conditions fast bowling is always a challenge," said Sangakkara. "Batsmen always back themselves to face pace on these tracks. With the sun coming out of day-nighters, bowling in the sun…that will be the real test for him.'' Vettori said it was a great start for Bond, as he attempted to launch himself at the highest level. "You couldn't really ask for too much more. It's great for him to start the way he has and I think he'll get better and better. The role's he's performed - taking the new ball and then coming back at the death ...I've been really impressed with the way he bowled then. "He looks confident and when Shane's confident he's a really good bowler. I think we'll see more of that as the one-day series goes on. This series will take the nerves away from him and he'll be able to concentrate on playing cricket now."

New Zealand Win Despite Dilshan's Destroying Effort

New Zealand 141 for 8 (Taylor 60, Malinga 2-21) beat Sri Lanka 137 for 9 (Dilshan 57, Oram 3-32) by three runs.

New Zealand put a small part of their tour blues behind them by clinching a thrilling three-run win over Sri Lanka in the first of two Twenty20s at the R Premadasa Stadium. The coloured clothing was out and with it a fresh look to New Zealand's Twenty20 unit, but it was Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram, with a hat-trick, who ultimately gave the tourists something to smile about. With the openers dismissed early, the pressure was on Taylor, who carried the team almost single-handedly with a busy innings until the 18th over after which, Lasith Malinga returned to stifle the tail. A total of 141 appeared under-par when Tillakaratne Dilshan blazed to 57 off 28 balls, but Vettori reminded everyone of his worth in Twenty20s with a niggardly spell and, aided by some dedicated fielding, New Zealand hauled themselves back in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Dilshan's assault on Shane Bond in the first over had the crowd in raptures, and New Zealand almost cowering. What was touted to be a seminal moment in New Zealand's bid for a comeback was smashed in four deliveries as Dilshan welcomed Bond back to international cricket with disdain. After bouncing Dilshan first ball, Bond was slapped for four consecutive fours. It didn't look good for New Zealand when Dilshan unfurled his patent scoop to Kyle Mills' second delivery and got four, but there was a moment of relief when Sanath Jayasuriya top-edged to Bond at fine leg three balls later. Bond's second over only cost four, but Dilshan resumed against Mills in the fourth over, pulling and lofting sixes. Then New Zealand launched a stirring comeback. Jesse Ryder's direct hit got rid of Mahela Jayawardene, after which Vettori got Kumar Sangakkara in his first over. Ian Butler struck in successive overs as Ryder cupped an excellent catch at backward point to cut off Dilshan and Chamara Kapugedera missed an ugly slog. At this stage Sri Lanka were 85 for 5 with 57 needed from 60 balls. Angelo Mathews took fours off Jacob Oram, but the pressure built up by Vettori was excruciating. Having given three runs in his first over, Vettori wheeled away off an nagging line and conceded five in his second and, crucially, just a single in his third. The debutant Gihan Rupasinghe found Vettori tough to score off and, backed by some alert close-in fielding, was frustrated into sweeping and missing. With his final delivery, Vettori trapped Rupasinghe lbw for 15 off 21 balls to finish with figures of 4-0-11-2. With 20 needed off 19, Mathews popped a return catch to Oram. Suddenly New Zealand, who till now had been athletic in the field, started diving over the ball and failing to back-up errant throws. Scampered single and doubles kept Sri Lanka ticking. With 13 to defend off 12, Vettori called back Bond. It was a wicketless return for Bond, but four singles in the final over sure beat four fours. Two wickets in the first two balls of the final over - that gave Oram his hat-trick - left Sri Lanka's last pair too much to do. New Zealand's bid to gain momentum after last week's Test series defeat looked like it had hit a potential roadblock as they were kept to 141. Brendon McCullum appeared in the mood to get back into form, slashing a wide delivery from Malinga over point, but the combination of Ryder's straight drive and Nuwan Kulasekara's fingertips cut short his nine-ball innings. Ryder couldn't lift the tempo in a lovely second over from Malinga, full of crafty changes of pace, and with Kulasekara cutting down the boundary options, he gave himself room and lofted a catch into the hands of Malinga Bandara running back from mid-off. Taylor and Martin Guptill were left to consolidate matters, and when Sangakkara called on Mathews, Taylor weighed in with consecutive boundaries, slashing past point and driving wide of cover. Another fortuitous deflection followed off Ajantha Mendis, when Guptill drove and edged past slip. New Zealand took 38 off the Powerplay overs. Taylor's entertaining 60, including five fours and a six, went well with the festive atmosphere at the ground but he lacked support. Guptill, who was dropped by Mathews in the deep off Jayasuriya, launched Bandara for a straight six but miscued the next delivery to deep midwicket for 29. Jayasuriya's left-arm spin was to Taylor's liking and he slog-swept for four and six in successive deliveries in the 15th over. Oram looked as if he was at the wrong party before he fell for 8 off 13 deliveries, holing out to Kulasekara at mid-off in Mendis' final over. Trying to get some momentum going, Taylor fell in Mathews' next over, giving Kulasekara another catch in the deep. Mathews returned a flat throw to help run out Peter McGlashan and Malinga returned to york Kyle Mills and Vettori with consecutive deliveries in the 20th over. But Malinga and Dilshan's efforts were not enough to deny a New Zealand side piloted to victory by three of their established stars.

Vettori's Brilliance Failed To Stop Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka 416 (Samaraweera 143, Jayawardene 92, Patel 4-78) and 311 for 5 dec (Sangakkara 109, Jayawardene 96) beat New Zealand 234 (Taylor 81, Herath 3-70, Muralitharan 3-71) and 397 (Vettori 140, Oram 56, Herath 5-139) by 96 runs.

Sri Lanka were expected to wrap up victory early on the final day, but had to wait until the 68th over of the day to seal a 2-0 sweep and cement their place at No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings. They had New Zealand six wickets down for 182 at stumps on day four, but were thoroughly frustrated by a century stand between Daniel Vettoi and Jacob Oram in a cracking morning session. When Tillakaratne Dilshan snapped an excellent 124-run partnership by dismissing Oram two minutes before lunch, it seemed likely that victory was around the corner, but Vettori found an able ally in Iain O'Brien and the pair added 69 in 78 gut-wrenching minutes. Like in the morning, Sri Lanka struck shortly before the interval and tea was pushed back by half an hour. The last wicket to fall was Vettori, excellently held at deep square leg by a tumbling Rangana Herath - who took five wickets - and New Zealand had finally been dismissed for 397, the highest fourth-innings total at the SSC. They were owned for the better part of four days, but fought back credibly on the fifth. It was not enough, for the damage was irreparable, and Sri Lanka finished deserved winners. With his back to the wall, needing to bat three sessions, Vettori dipped into his reservoir of 94 Tests and summoned immense concentration to survive two of them. He helped buy time after a delayed second session - owing to a brief but fierce Colombo downpour - even as Muttiah Muralitharan returned to the field and had Jeetan Patel caught sweeping to short leg. He received tremendous support from O'Brien, who played an innings unlike any he has played in the past, plodding 75 balls for a career-best 12. There were plenty of shouts for lbws and close catches, and the umpires were tested as much as the batsmen, but O'Brien was resolute. Vettori pulled and swept boundaries off Murali and Herath to reach a most appreciable century, one that put his entire batting unit to shame. His shot selection and confidence were amazing, supple wrists and dancing feet complimenting a fierce determination. Kumar Sangakkara spread his field as singles and doubles ticked away, but the pair played on. Dammika Prasad returned and O'Brien ducked and swayed, while Vettori pulled for four between two fielders.

Vettori was always looking for doubles to get back on strike and singles to retain strike, and with some exceptional judgment and able running, managed it. Tired fielders often lugged themselves towards the ball and runs became easy. With each ball O'Brien patted back or left, and each run scampered, New Zealand's belief soared. But Herath ended O'Brien's stubborn resistance 12 minutes before tea. O'Brien lunged at one turning away and immediately walked off without waiting for the umpire's verdict. In walked a notorious No. 11, Chris Martin, who played 13 balls before Vettori was dismissed for 140. He has been a hero all tour and today his innings panned more deliveries than any New Zealand batsman this Test. Beginning the day with victory 312 runs away and six down, New Zealand were not expected to pull off any miracles. But with their backs to the wall, needing to bat three sessions, Vettori and Oram turned the heat on the hosts, at times defiantly and at times with fortitude, thanks to Daryl Harper and some shoddy fielding. Oram batted with assurance and the determination of a player who has started to return to form after a lean spell - his batting had been poor all tour. His sweep to Ajantha Mendis in Galle and reverse-sweep in the first innings here had been criticised. This morning he continued from last evening, presenting steadfast defence and judgment against the spinners. He shunned the bent-knee shots and refrained some sweeping and lapping the spinners, which had led to his decline earlier. He had a slice of luck, however. Prasad bowled a good first spell should have had Oram on 36 when he rapped him flush in front of middle and leg, but Harper turned it down. Prasad thoroughly improved on his performance in the first innings and got the ball to swing away from the left-handers after pitching much closer to the batsmen. In one frustrating over he got Oram to inside-edge to fine leg and Vettori to drag onto his front boot and then edge between the slip fielders, who failed to react. There were other occasions where Oram attempted forcing drives through the off side but inside-edged past his stumps. Still, he was skillful enough to rough it out. Vettori was comfortable against pace and spin, and worked the ball off the square mostly on the back foot initially, before gaining the confidence to reach out and drive. Thilan Thushara pitched the ball up but didn't always make the batsmen play; on a slow track, Vettori had ample time to work the ball square. Thushara didn't test Vettori with a single yorker and too often strayed down the pads to Oram, who played come fierce clips. In his first spell, Oram took 15 runs off 22 balls and Vettori 10 off 16. Oram and Vettori played exceedingly well but you expected the Sri Lankans to be sharper. Herath failed to collect a flat throw at the stumps with Vettori short and later reacted late to a top-edge off the same batsman. The second edge Vettori steered off Prasad went smack between first and second slip and nobody moved. Even if such risky shots were not necessary, they seemed to prevent the tension from bogging Vettori down. Rarely were there scoreless periods, which can often build up anxiety. Vettori got to his half-century first, off 77 balls and in 111 minutes. Oram followed with his first significant contribution all tour but, after 173 minutes of tremendous application, punched Dilshan to Sangakkara cover for 56. At the other end Vettori sank to his knees. It was a crushing blow. Vettori lost Oram before lunch and Patel soon after, yet batted on to a brave fourth century as the pressure mounted on his dependable shoulders. Ultimately, his brilliance was not enough to hold out for a famous draw.

Sri Lanka On Edge Of Yet Another Series Win

New Zealand 234 and 182 for 6 (Flynn 50, Herath 4-73) need another 312 runs to beat Sri Lanka 416 and 311 for 5 decl (Sangakkara 109, Jayawardene 96) .

Sri Lankan Team is on top of their game since their test and one day series wins against Pakistan.

New Zealand continue to struggle against magic of Sri Lankan Spinners specially Muttiah Muralitharan. They failed to generate partnerships in the first test and similar is the story in the second test. Not a single century is scored from New Zealand players in the series and there is hardly any reasonable partnerships in the series.

Sri Lankans have set a tough ask of 494 in the second test and New Zealand are already 6 down for 182 requiring 312 runs to avoid series defeat against Srilanka.

New Zealand were paying special attention to Muralitharan before start of the series and hired Pakistani Spin Legend Saqlain Mushtaq to help them overcome Murali's threat but the stretegy does not seem to be working for them since they are still unable to understand the Srilankan Spin Variations.

Daniel Flynn, who had struggled to buy a run so far on tour, handled the spinners well for a period and played with an ease the openers struggled for. He mixed caution with opportunism, not shying away from using his feet to drive and cut. Yet his too was an aborted innings. Having raised his first fifty of the series in 110 minutes, Flynn became Herath's third victim, playing back when he should have gone forward. Herath was outstanding today, outdoing Muttiah Muralitharan for accuracy and turn.

Brendon McCullum is considered a major factor in the New Zealand batting but his form in the series is highly questionable. He has failed to score runs in the series.

On the other hand Sri Lankan batsmen are batting against Kiwi attack with relative ease and not finding it hard to score runs specially Samaraweera who scored two centuries in the series and Mahella Jayawerdena is also scoring runs alongwith the skipper Kumar Sangakara who scored 109 in the last innings.

From here on Sri Lanka just needs 4 wickets to secure a series win against Black Caps hoping there is no rain interuption.

Sri Lanka Still In Driver's Seat

Sri Lanka 416 and 157 for 2 (Sangakkara 64*, Jayawardene 23*) lead New Zealand 234 (Taylor 81, Herath 3-70, Murali 3-71) by 339 runs.

Sri Lanka, polished by an unbroken 68-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, bolstered their grip on the second Test with a lead of 339 and eight wickets in hand - and two days to go. A torrential downpour at 4.10pm curtailed play on another day of local domination, the tone for which was set in the first session when New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 51 runs to spin. Thanks to Tillakaratne Dilshan's generosity and another error by umpire Daryl Harper, New Zealand managed two wickets in the afternoon but it had minimal effect on the game which by tea had drifted almost out of their reach. Out-of-form opener Tharanga Paranavitana was watchful, mindful of the fact that this was his last innings of the series, while Dilshan made 34 before chipping Jeetan Patel to long-on. Paranavitana, progressing slowly and discreetly, looked set for his first substantial contribution but was incorrectly ruled out caught behind by Harper when he clearly missed a sweep down the leg side. That proved to be New Zealand's last success on a slow day. Sangakkara and Jayawardene relied mainly on singles, aided by New Zealand's weary fielding effort. They built the lead sensibly, the captain handling Daniel Vettori and Patel quite masterfully. Sangakkara used his feet and stretched fully forward to negate the turn from the rough and used the width of the crease to rock back and cut when Patel pitched it short. The good mates were at ease against the harmless line of the quick bowlers and Patel, who didn't get much turn from the track. Jayawardene flicked him to leg and drove him straight for the shot of the day; Sangakkara danced out and took fours past mid-on and mid-off and an effortless six over long-on. Sangakkara brought up his second half-century of the series off 80 balls and, two calculated sweeps later, had to run off when sudden rain forced an early close. Rain or sun, New Zealand struggled. A deficit of 257 was a huge disadvantage to start the day with, and it got worse for New Zealand when Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor fell in the first 40 minutes. Having briefly held up Sri Lanka and taken New Zealand past the follow-on mark, Vettori and Jacob Oram departed within 14 deliveries leaving the home side in complete control. Sangakkara started the day with his best spinners bowling in tandem. Muttiah Muralitharan began with an immaculate line and restricted the batsmen largely to singles. The tone was set in Rangana Herath's first over, the second of the day, when he beat Taylor and McCullum with good turn away from the bat. With three men around the bat, and the ball spinning, there were several appeals and gasps as Murali and Herath spun a web. Herath should have had McCullum on 13 twice in one over but Paranavitana grassed a catch at silly point, his second drop of the game, and Thilan Samaraweera missed a low chance to his left at second slip. In the next over Harper turned down a convincing appeal for lbw when Taylor missed a sweep. It was McCullum who was the first to go when he edged a Murali doosra to give Jayawardene his 150th catch in Tests. Taylor stuck to a bat-and-pad policy against Herath, who got significant turn and bounce, and tried to unsettle Murali by sweeping. Having added 11 to his overnight score in 37 deliveries, Taylor fell for 81 when Herath lured him into a prod and drew an edge. Vettori played positively for 23 in a stand of 43 with Oram before he was dislodged by Dilshan's part-time offspin, Chamara Kapugedera holding on to a good tumbling catch at short leg. Fourteen deliveries later Herath sent back Oram, whose ridiculous attempt at a reverse-sweep was taken at short leg. The end came swiftly, leaving New Zealand to rue another inept display.

Sri Lanka On Top After Samraweera Knock And Impressive Sri Lankan Bowling

New Zealand 159 for 5 (Taylor 70*, McCullum 5*, Thushara 2-37) trail Sri Lanka 416 (Samaraweera 143, Mahela Jayawardene 92, Sangakkara 50, Patel 4-78) by 257 runs. The contest veered between bat and ball, dominating certain passages and providing the limited crowd with entertaining viewing, but, at the end of the day, New Zealand had their backs firmly to the wall. The match was intriguingly poised with Sri Lanka at 295 for 4, but Thilan Samraweera, with help from Chamara Kapugedera, powered Sri Lanka into the box seat with a breezy 72-run stand. Then the tail imploded - five wickets went down for 27 - to let slip a position from which they could have batted New Zealand out of the game. Samaraweera's fourth century of the year, though, guided the home side past 400, and the Sri Lankan quick bowlers struck thrice early to grab back some of the momentum the visitors had seized. A limp reply from New Zealand, which included the haphazard dismissal of Martin Guptill, left the middle order with too much. Dammika Prasad, taking the place of Nuwan Kulasekara, struck with his first ball to get Tim McIntosh, though replays suggested he was lucky. Thilan Thushara needed no such help in getting Daniel Flynn to nick one that pitched outside off stump and held its line. Guptill showed brief resilience, playing some cracking on-side strokes, to race to 29 from 26 balls. Then Thushara tested him with a series of bouncers. Guptill hooked one for four. The next ball reared into his ribs and he gloved it to fine leg. A man went out to deep square leg. Three in a row followed and Guptill was visibly torn between leaving or pulling. Then he got another short one and fell for the trap, getting a top edge straight to the fielder placed back. On air, an incensed Danny Morrison called it "brainless cricket". Ross Taylor led a passage of recovery with Jesse Ryder, adding 85. Taylor took his time, playing out 31 deliveries for 10, before opening up with some aggressive shots through the off side off Prasad. He survived an extremely tight call on 30 against Muttiah Muralitharan but continued to sweep the spinner. He was dropped on 56 off Murali, but was left looking from the other end as spin accounted for Ryder, popping to short leg, and Jeetan Patel, edging to slip. Unfortunately for New Zealand nobody could match Taylor's defiance and shot selection and the tourists found themselves struggling for survival. New Zealand had brought themselves back into this match well after lunch after Samaraweera made 500 look a distinct possibility, but their top order failed to reciprocate. Without Samaraweera, Sri Lanka would have really struggled. Iain O'Brien put New Zealand on the right track with a good first spell of quick bowling on an unresponsive track, dismissing Mahela Jayawardene when a hundred seemed inevitable, but the visitors again sat back to allow Samaraweera flourish. A sumptuous on-drive for four - taking him past 1000 Test runs this year - set the tone for his innings along. The eighties were a blur as Samaraweera unfurled slow-motion pulls past square, spiffy drives past cover and a couple of deft dabs. Samaraweera slowed down after Jayawardene's dismissal, facing 14 balls when on 99, but eventually reached the landmark, after 277 minutes at the crease, with a push between cover and point off Martin. The next ball was hooked for six, a release of adrenalin. A classy drive past cover followed off Jacob Oram, who continued to bowl without pace or menace, after which Samaraweera clouted Jeetan Patel for consecutive fours, unafraid to go over the top. Kapugedera, who enjoyed a life on 9, eased his way to 35 before miscuing to mid-off four minutes before lunch. New Zealand came out after the interval and turned in their best passage of the match. Chris Martin began the session by bouncing Prasanna Jayawardene, who top-edged to long leg. Then Patel struck, first getting Prasad to poke to slip and trapping Herath lbw next ball. His fourth victim was the man of the moment, Samaraweera, who gloved a reverse-sweep to depart for an excellent 143. It was an inning of insatiable determination and skill, and New Zealand - like Vettori had hoped - didn't manage to learn from it. Taylor will need much of the same determination shown by Samaraweera to help New Zealand leave Colombo without suffering the sort of crushing defeat they experienced here in 1998.

Thushara And Murali Crushed Black Caps

Sri Lanka 452 (Samaraweera 159, M Jayawardene 114, Martin 4-77) and 259 for 5 dec. (Dilshan 123) beat New Zealand 299 (McIntosh 69, Murali 4-73, Thushara 4-81) and 210 (Vettori 67, Murali 3-88) by 202 runs.

With the rain clouds staying away and the Galle sky clear, Sri Lanka romped to victory in the first Test, finishing off proceedings mid-afternoon. The New Zealand tail offered far more resistance than the top order - Daniel Vettori led the way with a brave 67 - but with the spinners coming into their own after early breakthroughs from Thilan Thushara, Sri Lanka eased to a 202-run win. Fittingly Muttiah Muralitharan, who had taken his 100th wicket in Galle earlier in the match, had the final say, running out Brendon McCullum with a superb throw from mid-off to finish off proceedings. Any realistic hopes that New Zealand had of survival had disappeared soon after lunch, when Jesse Ryder edged Murali behind. McCullum and Vettori staved off the inevitable for a while, and there was polite applause for Vettori when he reached his half-century. Two neat pulls for four off Thushara followed, but by then both Murali and Ajantha Mendis were turning the ball at wicked angles. And it was Mendis who delivered, coming round the wicket and turning one sharply away to take the edge of Vettori's bat. Once again Prasanna Jayawardene's glovework was smooth, and as Vettori walked back, it was only a matter of when Sri Lanka would wrap things up. McCullum swung Murali for a six, and then swept him for four to rage against dying light, and there were a couple of lovely drives too from Jeetan Patel. But after Mendis had seen him dropped by Malinda Warnapura, substituting for Angelo Mathews, at short leg, Murali struck, with the doosra luring him forward and Prasanna doing the rest. Iain O'Brien went caught at silly point off the inside edge, and McCullum then made the mistake of taking on Murali's throwing arm to end the contest. The damage, though, had been done much earlier, as Sri Lanka started the morning with some exceptionally tidy overs. The pressure eventually told once Thushara switched the angle of attack to round the wicket. Martin Guptill was clueless against one that came in with the arm and then darted away to clip the top of off stump. Soon after, Tim McIntosh, perhaps still suffering the after-effects of illness, was squared up, and Thilan Samaraweera took a fine low catch at third slip. McIntosh waited for the third umpire's decision, but had to walk off eventually. An even heftier blow came soon after. Kumar Sangakkara threw the ball to his predecessor as captain, and when Mahela Jayawardene got Ross Taylor to tickle on into Prasanna's hands down the leg side, the Lankan celebrations were raucous. Up in the dressing room, Trevor Bayliss, the coach, held his head in his hands in disbelief. With the fields more attacking, both Vettori and Jacob Oram had the opportunity to play some strokes. Vettori played a couple of lovely drives, and the sweep and pull were also employed by both as the scoreboard ticked along. But just when it seemed that they might get to lunch without further damage, Oram tried to sweep a straighter one from Mendis, and missed. Both Vettori and Ryder saw edges off Murali evade wicketkeeper and slip and go for four, but there was to be no great escape for New Zealand. Sri Lanka, whose home form is the envy of so many, chipped away relentlessly and with Thushara adding a cutting edge to the wiles of Murali and Mendis, victory was as inevitable as it was emphatic.

Hopeless New Zealand battle for survival

New Zealand 30 for 1 (Guptill 17*) and 299 (McIntosh 69, Murali 4-73, Thushara 4-81) need another 383 runs to beat Sri Lanka 452 and 259 for 4 dec (Dilshan 123*, Sangakkara 46*).

There was no case of second-time-unlucky for Tillakaratne Dilshan, and a blazing century pushed a tummy-bug-hit New Zealand to the brink as the Galle Test entered its climactic phase. Having taken a 153-run lead, with Muttiah Muralitharan taking his 100th wicket in Galle, Sri Lanka piled on the misery either side of lunch, with stroke-filled cameos from Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera buttressing Dilshan's stunning effort. By tea, when the declaration came, the lead was 412 and with several batsmen ill, New Zealand's chances of survival were very much dependent on the weather.

But though it rained for nearly an hour after tea, their task was made harder as soon as play resumed, with Daniel Flynn - promoted to open as Tim McIntosh was indisposed - brilliantly caught an inch off the ground by Mahela. Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, batting at No.3 for the first time, defended stoutly to prevent further damage, before bad light took the players off for the final time.

Sri Lanka had amassed 183 in the second session, and the tone was set in the very first over after the interval, as Sangakkara took three fours off Jacob Oram. At the other end, Dilshan eased to 50 from just 35 balls and greeted Jeetan Patel with a paddle sweep for four. To worsen Patel's mood, Reece Young, the substitute wicketkeeper, couldn't hold on when Dilshan opened the face and tried to run one down to third man. He was on 62 at the time, and New Zealand had plenty of time to reflect on the lapse.

With Sangakkara timing the ball so beautifully, the century partnership took just 113 balls, and it required a massive stroke of luck for New Zealand to break through. Dilshan drove one hard and low, and it just brushed Daniel Vettori's fingers before crashing into the stumps with Sangakkara a few inches short of his ground.

It was merely temporary respite though. Mahela announced himself with a meaty mow over square leg, and as the batsmen continued to pick the gaps with effortless ease, Vettori was forced into adopting a defensive line for both himself and Patel - spearing the ball into the leg-stump rough. Mahela continued to sweep, but Dilshan's scoring did stall as he did little more than pad the ball away.

Once Dilshan dusted off the sweep and started to attack, New Zealand ran out of options. Patel did finally get a wicket, as Mahela popped up a return catch, but Samaraweera buried any thoughts of celebration with two mighty leg-side swipes for six. He fell trying to repeat the feat against Vettori, and the stage was then set for Dilshan to get the hundred which eluded him in the first innings.

A single to mid-off got him there, and a fusillade of strokes followed. Prasanna Jayawardene chipped in with cuts behind point, heaves over cover and the odd edge, but it was Dilshan who ran the show, peppering the boundaries as the 50 partnership came up in just 41 balls. By then, most of the New Zealanders were looking as sick as Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, both of whom had been taken ill.

It hadn't taken Sri Lanka's bowlers long to wrap up New Zealand's first innings. Murali had Iain O'Brien caught behind before Thilan Thushara came back to take his fourth wicket of the innings, bowling Vettori off the inside edge. Vettori's had been a desperate shot, but with the hapless Chris Martin at the other end, he really had no option but to go for the single off the last ball of the over.

It was desperation of another kind when Dilshan, who had clattered 92 from 72 balls in the first innings, arrived at the crease. Once again, New Zealand had no answer to his aggression, and O'Brien appeared stunned when he was hooked for six and then flayed for four through cover at the start of the innings.

Tharanga Paranavitana went, edging to slip, but with Sangakkara caressing gorgeous strokes through the covers, Dilshan was once again given the license to flirt with the boundaries of Test-match batting. Both O'Brien and Martin suffered as the ball was cut, square-driven and pulled ruthlessly each time it was even fractionally off length. The deluge that came after tea was nothing compared to what had gone before.

Sri Lanka On Top After Samraweera Show

New Zealand 87 for 2 (McIntosh 36*) trail Sri Lanka 452 (Samaraweera 159, Jayawardene 114, Martin 4-77, Vettori 4-78) by 365 runs.

Having seen Thilan Samraweera strike a magnificent 159 and take Sri Lanka to 452, New Zealand responded strongly in the final session, with Tim McIntosh leading the resistance to the twin-spin threat. The loss of Daniel Flynn just before stumps changed the complexion somewhat, but New Zealand still deserved plaudits for sticking to the task with the ball and then showing real character with the bat. The star of the day though was undoubtedly Samaraweera, who took more than half an hour to score his first run of the day before racing from 100 to 150 in just 43 deliveries.

Morning rain meant a two-hour delay and a readjustment in the session timings, and after a sedate first hour before lunch, when only 35 runs were added and Mahela Jayawardene snaffled by Iain O'Brien, there was an injection of excitement after the interval. Angelo Mathews flicked the first ball after the interval for four and then paddle-swept four more, but when New Zealand reeled off three successive maidens, the momentum appeared to have been lost.

Samaraweera was marooned on 97 for a while, but the moment he struck a gorgeous straight drive off Jeetan Patel to get to three figures, the mood changed. In Patel's next over, he lofted over mid-on for four and six, and then cut four more as the scoreboard started to race along. Daniel Vettori was also taken over midwicket, and Patel repeatedly driven with deft footwork. Mathews joined in with a heaved six off the hapless Patel and though he departed soon after, edging a drive behind off Vettori, Samaraweera continued to race along.

Prasanna Jayawardene went caught short at short leg off Vettori, but either side of that, Samaraweera drove, cut and even steered to third man off pace and spin alike. Having taken 223 balls for his century, he was suddenly smacking the ball like a man having an extended net session. Soon after, he came down the track to Vettori and found Patel at long-off, departing after a 277-ball effort. Chris Martin and Vettori then wrapped up the tail in a jiffy, as the last four wickets added just eight.

Fortune appeared to be on Sri Lanka's side early on when a thick outside edge from Jayawardene off O'Brien flew between wicketkeeper and slip. New Zealand's frustration quickly turned to joy though, when another delivery in the corridor was almost guided off the edge to the right of Ross Taylor at first slip. The new ball was taken almost as soon as it was due, and a quiet phase followed, with Mathews finding his feet and Samaraweera taking no chances.

The ball was then changed after having lost its shape, but it made no difference, with Samaraweera lashing one behind point for four. A neat clip through midwicket off Jesse Ryder took him to 96, but a tidy over from Vettori ensured that he would have to contend with the nervous nibbles at lunch. It was a different story thereafter.

The ball changes were a bizarre feature of the final session too, with three used before New Zealand had played even 10 overs. The innings started promisingly enough, with Martin Guptill clipping and pulling leg-side fours off Nuwan Kulasekara. Ajantha Mendis was on as early as the ninth over but it was Thilan Thushara that gave Kumar Sangakkara the breakthrough. The ball had just been changed when Guptill played a superb on-drive, but his attempt to find the square-leg boundary with a pull only meant a ricochet on to the base of the stumps.

With Murali coming on soon after, runs were hard to come by, but as McIntosh swept and drove Mendis for fours, New Zealand seemed to be finishing the day the better. But Mendis came round the wicket to bowl Flynn off the inner edge and with more rain forecast for the remaining days, survival was New Zealand's first priority after an eventful day in the shadow of the 400-year-old fort.