New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2005-06

At Queenstown, December 31, 2005. New Zealand won by seven wickets. Toss: New Zealand. One-day international debut: J. M. How. New Zealand rounded off a disappointing 2005 - this was only their sixth win in 18 completed one-day internationals - with a comfortable victory in front of a holiday crowd of 3,000 at this awe-inspiring setting. Sri Lanka's batsmen struggled after being put in, save for Atapattu and Dilshan, who put on 64 after the seamers reduced them to 41 for four. In a New Zealand lineup lacking Fleming for family reasons, most of the runs were scored by two newcomers, who made sure of victory with a third-wicket stand of 95. The well-organised Jamie How took three fours off one Malinga over, and later hit him for six to become the first New Zealand opener to make a half-century on one-day debut, while Peter Fulton, in his second match, also reached his maiden fifty with a six, off Muralitharan: the match was won with 12.4 overs to spare. The two national boards agreed that this series should be considered a continuation of the 2004-05 series, abandoned after one game. This second match was thus played 370 days after the first. Man of the Match: P. G. Fulton.