New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2006-07
New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2006-07
Don Cameron
15-Apr-2007
At Auckland, January 6, 2007 (day/night). Sri Lanka won by 189 runs. Toss: Sri Lanka.
When Sri Lanka made 262, a par score on a decent pitch, this seemed like an average one-day
game: then New Zealand collapsed for 73, sending 15,000 shocked spectators home early. Sri
Lanka's innings was an up-and-down one: the openers put on 102, the second 50 coming in just
22 balls, then came a mini-collapse before Sangakkara and Atapattu put on a steady 91 in more
than 24 overs. Jayasuriya's 44-ball blast included only eight singles but five sixes - three of them
in successive balls from Mason - lifting him clear of Shahid Afridi in the one-day international
six-hitting stakes (they were tied on 217 before this match). New Zealand never recovered from
the loss of Taylor and the returning Fleming for ducks, two of six lbws in the innings, two of
them to Malinga, bowling at high speed. Only a valiant knock from McMillan enabled New
Zealand to creep past their lowest total of 64, against Pakistan at Sharjah in 1985-86, but the
margin of defeat was a new national record.
Man of the Match: S. T. Jayasuriya.