Cardiff: New Zealand paceman Matt Henry (3/29) led an inspired bowling unit to run through Sri Lanka’s batting followed by Martin Guptill (73 n o, 51b, 8×4, 2×6) and Colin Munro’s (58 n o, 47b, 6×4, 1×6) unbeaten half centuries as the Black Caps to a 10-wicket win in their World Cup opener Saturday.
Henry was ably supported by fellow paceman Lockie Ferguson (3/22) to bowl out Sri Lanka for 136 in 29.2 overs in Cardiff. In reply, Guptill and Munro then combined together to make short work of their modest target and cruised home in 16.1 overs to register their third win in a World Cup game by 10 wickets.
The right-left batting combination of Guptill and Munro, had little trouble in smashing the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts of the ground but it was Henry’s spell of seven straight overs that opened the gates for New Zealand’s domination against the 1996 champions.
Henry stood out in the absence of senior paceman Tim Southee, who missed the game due to a calf injury, with his incisive pace and swing. He struck with the second delivery of the game to send Lahiru Thirimanne (four) trudging back to the pavilion after the left-handed opener had hit a boundary from the first ball.
Thirimanne was initially ruled not out by the on-field umpire, but the Kiwis successfully reviewed the lbw call in their favour after replays suggested the ball pitched on line and would have hit the batsman’s leg stump.
The left-handed Dimuth Karunaratne (52 n o, 84b, 4×4), who has returned to the ODI side after a gap of four years and handed a surprise leadership, then put on 42 runs for the second wicket with Kusal Perera (29).
But Williamson kept Henry on for the bowler’s fifth over and the move paid off as he got Perera and Kusal Mendis without scoring on successive deliveries. Dhananjaya de Silva (four) played the hat-trick ball with a glorious off drive, but soon fell to the pace of Ferguson after being trapped lbw.
Skipper Karunaratne stood out amid the ruins with his unbeaten half century including a 52-run stand with Thisara Perera (27), to give his team’s total some respect.
In the process, Karunaratne became the only second player after India’s Sunil Gavaskar to carry his bat throughout the innings and remain not out after coming is as an opener. Gavaskar did the feat against England in 1975 World Cup.
The rest of the batsmen showed little promise with three scores of nought in the innings including from former captain Angelo Mathews. Karunaratne registered his third ODI fifty but ran out of partners after Lasith Malinga (one) was bowled by Ferguson for one.
Pacemen Colin de Grandhomme (1/14), James Neesham (1/21), Trent Boult (1/44) and Mitchell Santner (1/5) claimed a wicket each. The Kiwis next face Bangladesh June 5 in London while Sri Lanka meet Afghanistan in Cardiff a day before.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 136 (Dimuth Karunaratne 52 n o; Matt Henry 3/29, Lockie Ferguson 3/22) lost to New Zealand 137/0 (Martin Guptill 73 n o, Colin Munro 58 n o) by 10 wickets.
