Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
20 | 5 Runs 2 Wkts | SL: 138/9 (4 runs required, RR: 6.90)

  • Lasith Malinga4 (3b)
  • Ajantha Mendis0 (1b)
  • Jacob Oram4-0-33-3
  • Shane Bond4-0-27-0

Who would have expected this result when Tillakaratne Dilshan was going hammer and tongs? Sri Lanka's lower-middle order has always been a bit of a question mark and it has come up short again.

New Zealand's comeback was sparked by a couple of superb pieces of fielding from Jesse Ryder, inflicting Jayawardene's run-out and taking a tough catch off Dilshan. Vettori was his miserly best, giving away only 11 runs,and the quicker bowlers kept it nice and full at the death, not allowing the Sri Lankans the chance to get under any deliveries. Bond's return was also satisfactory, coming back strongly after being clobbered for 16 runs in his first over.

Correction: Completely missed the fact that Jacob Oram has taken a hat-trick in this game, the second in Twenty20s after Brett Lee. Oram had got rid of Mathews off the last ball of the 17th over, before taking wickets off the first two balls of the final over. Thanks to Imran from India and a bunch of others for pointing that out.

Post-match presentation: Sangakkara: "With the start we had, not chasing 142 is inexcusable ... I think Dilshan has matured a lot over the past couple of years and is maximising his opportunities, unfortunately we couldn't support him today"

Vettori: "The fightback after we got Dilshan was really impressive. He's been the difference between the two sides in the Tests and today, and it's difficult to bowl to him given the wide range of shots he has... Our death bowling was the best display in a long time ... The fielding really stands out int Twenty20. " Vettori is also the Man of the Match.

Thanks everyone for joining in, that's it from us at Cricinfo. Last word today has to go to Joe from the United States: "Sri lanka gave 3 byes in the last ball which is equal to the margin by which NZ won."

19.6
1
Oram to Malinga, 1 run, New Zealand have won, wonderful comeback by them, the last ball was full and wide again, Malinga drives it to long-off for a single, three-run victory for New Zealand
19.5
2
Oram to Malinga, 2 runs, full and wide, Malinga gets under it and clobbers it towards sweeper cover, Nathan McCullum races across to his right to try complete a spectacular catch but can't hang on to it
19.4
1lb
Oram to Mendis, 1 leg bye, a leg bye, full outside off stump, tried to sweep, is struck on the pads, and the ball rolls towards point

Ajantha Mendis surveys the field

19.3
1
Oram to Malinga, 1 run, a yorker on offstump, Malinga gets it away to mid-off for a single
19.2
W
Oram to Kulasekara, OUT, Oram's on a hat-trick now, Kulaskeara holes out to long-on, another low full toss, Kulasekara's shot finds Broom, who has an easier catch than McCullum last ball

KMDN Kulasekara c Broom b Oram 12 (24m 11b 0x4 0x6) SR: 109.09

Malinga is the batsman walking out

19.1
W
Oram to Bandara, OUT, a great jumping catch from McCullum at long-off silences the crowd, a low full toss from Oram, Bandara lofts it straight at long-on, that's another dot ball, McCullum amde plenty of ground to his right before taking that one

HMCM Bandara c McCullum b Oram 7 (11m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 77.77

END OF OVER:
19 | 4 Runs | SL: 133/7 (9 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.00, RRR: 9.00)

  • Malinga Bandara7 (8b)
  • Nuwan Kulasekara12 (10b)
  • Shane Bond4-0-27-0
  • Kyle Mills4-0-36-1
18.6
1
Bond to Bandara, 1 run, high full toss, another heave from Bandara sends the ball towards mid-off, a single to retain the strike, wonderful over from Bond
18.5
0
Bond to Bandara, no run, another dot ball, only three of the over do far, slower ball from Bond, great stuff, Bandara swings at it and misses
18.4
0
Bond to Bandara, no run, a dot ball, precious for New Zealand, Bandara swipes that towards short midwicket
18.3
1
Bond to Kulasekara, 1 run, high full toss, punched back towards the bowler, who gets a hand to it but can't stop the batsmen from taking a single
18.2
1
Bond to Bandara, 1 run, Bond goes for the yorker, it's a touch shorter than he wanted, the batsman squeezes it to mid-off

Vettori and Bond have a long chat

18.1
1
Bond to Kulasekara, 1 run, length ball outside off, driven crisply to long-off, hit too firmly to get a double

Bond to bowl the 19th

END OF OVER:
18 | 7 Runs | SL: 129/7 (13 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.16, RRR: 6.50)

  • Nuwan Kulasekara10 (8b)
  • Malinga Bandara5 (4b)
  • Kyle Mills4-0-36-1
  • Jacob Oram3-0-29-1

Another message to the batsmen from the man rushing out with the drinks. Bond and Oram have an over each.

17.6
1
Mills to Kulasekara, 1 run, pegs away at a back of a length, on middle stump, Kulasekara turns it towards midwicket, and gets a tight single, direct hit would have made things interesting
17.5
1
Mills to Bandara, 1 run, Bandara hammers that one to mid-off, Vettori fields and a direct hit would have ended Bandara's stay
17.4
2
Mills to Bandara, 2 runs, it was New Zealand's fielding that kept them in the game when Dilshan was going berserk, now it's the fielding that's letting them down, another misfield, this time at long-on, giving away an extra run
17.3
2
Mills to Bandara, 2 runs, back of a length, angling into Bandara, who chops it towards backward point, where Ryder (who has been exceptional in the field so far) misfields
17.2
0
Mills to Bandara, no run, slow, short ball outside off, Bandra wanted to dab that to third man but doesn't connect
17.1
1
Mills to Kulasekara, 1 run, the batsman slaps that over the infield towards sweeper cover, land just a few yards short of the fielder

END OF OVER:
17 | 7 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 122/7 (20 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.17, RRR: 6.66)

  • Nuwan Kulasekara8 (6b)
  • Jacob Oram3-0-29-1
  • Ian Butler4-0-29-2
16.6
W
Oram to Mathews, OUT, Oram gets rid of Mathews, who chips an innocuous delivery back to the bowler, huge wicket that, Mathews, Sri Lanka's last remaining recognised batsman, has just perished to a full toss

AD Mathews c & b Oram 21 (31m 22b 2x4 0x6) SR: 95.45

16.5
1
Oram to Kulasekara, 1 run, slightly overpitced, well outside off, Kulasekara gets forward and drives through cover
  • Relieved Vettori praises team work

    Having won his first toss of what until this evening had been a disappointing tour, Vettori played a stellar role with the ball to help New Zealand sneak a humdinger at the R Premadasa Stadium

  • Fighting NZ overcome Dilshan blitz

    New Zealand put a small part of their tour blues behind them by clinching a thrilling three-run win over Sri Lanka in the first of two Twenty20s at the R Premadasa Stadium

  • Hand of Kulasekara

    Plays of the day for the first Twenty20 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st22ST JayasuriyaTM Dilshan
2nd21DPMD JayawardeneTM Dilshan
3rd24TM DilshanKC Sangakkara
4th8TM DilshanRJMGM Rupasinghe
5th10CK KapugederaRJMGM Rupasinghe
6th24AD MathewsRJMGM Rupasinghe
7th13KMDN KulasekaraAD Mathews
8th11HMCM BandaraKMDN Kulasekara
9th0SL MalingaKMDN Kulasekara
10th5SL MalingaBAW Mendis