New Zealand v Sri Lanka

At Bloemfontein, February 10, 2003. Sri Lanka won by 47 runs. Toss: New Zealand.

A courageous lone hand from Styris was not enough to prevent an easy Sri Lankan win, which revolved around a run-a-ball second-wicket stand of 170 between Jayasuriya and Tillekeratne. But the result could have been different if umpire Mallender had spotted a thin edge off Tuffey when Jayasuriya had 18. After that, only a sharp chance on 86 to Vincent, chosen as wicket-keeper ahead of McCullum, marred Jayasuriya's path to his 16th one-day century, which came up in 111 balls with a characteristically raucous upper cut to the third-man boundary. Sri Lanka were heading for 300, but Astle applied the brakes, and Tillekeratne, who hit just five fours in his patient 106-ball innings, was hindered when forced to use a runner after an attack of cramp. On a pudding of a pitch, New Zealand quickly made a meal of their reply. But from 15 for three, Styris responded in style, crashing 141 in 125 balls, including six sixes, three courtesy of Popeye-forearm slog-sweeps off Muralitharan. His team-mates, however, struggled against Sri Lanka's battery of slow bowlers - Fleming later admitted it had been an error to leave out their left-arm spinner, Vettori - and by the time Styris was last out, he had scored 63% of his side's runs. Only Glenn Turner, with an unbeaten 171 against East Africa at Edgbaston in 1975, had made more for New Zealand in a one-day international.

Man of the Match: S. T. Jayasuriya. Attendance: 3,766.