New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2006-07
New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2006-07
Don Cameron
15-Apr-2007
At Napier, December 28, 2006. Sri Lanka won by seven wickets. Toss: New Zealand. One-day
international debut: M. R. Gillespie.
Another special innings from Sanath Jayasuriya - his 23rd century in one-day internationals -
swept Sri Lanka to victory as they nonchalantly overhauled a competitive total with ten overs to
spare. Jayasuriya faced only 82 balls, hitting five sixes, and put on 201 with Tharanga, whose 73-
ball 68 seemed almost pedestrian in comparison. They were eventually out to successive deliveries
at the start of the 25th over, but by then it was as good as over, helped by wayward bowling
which donated 12 wides and 12 no-balls. Earlier, New Zealand, captained by Vettori as Fleming
was given a three-match break as part of a pre-World Cup rotation plan, were indebted to a maiden
one-day hundred from Ross Taylor, an attacking 22-year-old with a Samoan background. He hit
four sixes himself, and put on 151 with the evergreen Astle - a stand only ended when Jayasuriya
finger-tipped a Taylor straight-drive into the stumps with the non-striker out of his ground. With
Taylor suffering from cramp, and Vaas removing Vettori and James Marshall with successive balls,
New Zealand lost their way.
Man of the Match: S. T. Jayasuriya.