NEW ZEALAND v SRI LANKA

At Hamilton, February 25. New Zealand won by six wickets. Toss: New Zealand. New Zealand were guided home on a grassless pitch by Rutherford, who was missed by Ranatunga at slip before scoring, but went on to his second consecutive fifty. Mahanama also continued his good form, though he enjoyed less solid support. De Silva and Ranatunga helped him take the score to 172, but the lower order could add only 34 in the last ten overs. Wright started well, despite injuring his shoulder in the field, but the slow left-arm of Anurasiri and the off-spin of Kalpage put the brakes on and they restricted Crowe to five runs in ten overs. He was caught at long leg trying to force the pace when Wickremasinghe returned, but that brought in Rutherford, whose stand of 81 with Jones was the highest of the game. Afterwards Sri Lanka, who had already lost their strike bowler Ratnayake with a dislocated shoulder, were given permission to add Graeme Labrooy to their squad.

Man of the Match: K. R. Rutherford. Attendance: 8,268.